Where is Louis Riel? Heritage Minute of Métis leader quietly removed
CTV
A decision to quietly remove a decades-old Heritage Minute on Louis Riel has left some in the Métis community scratching their heads, as questions are raised about how Canada's history is portrayed.
A decision to quietly remove a decades-old Heritage Minute on Louis Riel has left some in the Métis community scratching their heads, as questions are raised about how Canada's history is portrayed.
Heritage Minutes are a staple in classrooms across the country and a piece of nostalgia for many Canadians. The minute-long videos profile historical figures and events from Canada's past.
Among them, Louis Riel – the leader of the Métis, founder of Manitoba and a central figure in the Red River Resistance.
Produced by Historica Canada in the early '90s, Riel's Heritage Minute depicts his last moments in 1885 and ends showing the Métis leader's death.
But the video has vanished from Historica Canada's platforms. The charitable organization confirmed it was removed back in 2020.
"This was done in the wake of concerns expressed in discussions with members of the Métis community," a Historica Canada spokesperson told CTV News in a statement.
"Those included the overall content – particularly its violent end - as well as the considered lack of adequate engagement with the community at the time of its 1991 production."
