The decision to quietly remove a decades-old “Heritage Minute” at Louis Riel has raised questions about how Canada’s history is being portrayed and troubled some in the Métis community.
Heritage Minutes are a staple in classrooms across the country and fondly remembered by many Canadians: the one-minute videos showcase historical figures and events from Canada’s past.
Among them was Louis Riel, Métis leader, Manitoba founder and central figure in the Red River Resistance.
Riel’s Heritage Minute, produced by Historica Canada in the early 1990s, depicts his final moments in 1885 and ends with the death of the Métis leader.
However, the video has since disappeared from the Historica Canada platform, with the charity confirming that it was removed in 2020.
“This was done following concerns expressed in discussions with members of the Métis community,” a spokesperson for Historica Canada said in a statement to CTV News.
“These included the film’s overall content, particularly its violent ending, and what appeared to be a lack of appropriate community engagement at the time of its production in 1991.”
A spokesman said the company has also received complaints from educators who say the video is too violent to be shown in classrooms.
“As one of the primary audiences for Heritage Minute and all of our projects, suitability for classroom use is an important consideration,” the statement read.
Historica Canada website, June 21, 2024. (Danton Unger/CTV News Winnipeg)
‘They killed our heroes’: Métis Federation marvels at expulsion
But it came as a surprise to David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF).
“People will say, ‘You see that rope coming down, that’s too violent for kids or the public to watch,’ but that’s what happened,” Chartrand said. “They killed our heroes. They killed our leaders.”
He said MMF wasn’t consulted before the video was removed, and while he understands Historica Canada is trying to do the right thing, he said they should have consulted with the Métis government first.
“They should sit down with the First Nations government, our government, and talk about what they’re going to do,” he said. “It’s commendable that they’re trying, but they should have done it the right way.”
Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand speaks in an interview on June 21, 2024. (Danton Unger/CTV News Winnipeg)
For Cindy Desrochers, director of the Saint-Boniface Museum, the loss of the video didn’t come as a surprise.
Riel’s “Heritage Minute” had actually been part of a museum exhibit on Métis leaders since the early 2000s, but was removed several years ago due to its sensitive subject matter.
“The content is potentially provocative, the subject matter and the fact that Mr. Riel died was quite violent,” Desrochers said. “I definitely think there are better ways to portray Mr. Riel as part of our history and to honour him going forward.”
History professor says this isn’t the first time Riel’s video has been removed
This is not the first time Riel’s Heritage Minute videos have been removed from public view.
“It was removed very quickly after it was completed,” said Adele Perry, a history professor and director of the Centre for Human Rights Studies at the University of Manitoba.
She said Heritage Minute at the time tended to focus on the “lighter” aspects of Canada’s past and Riel’s video was a big departure from that.
“The film very specifically depicted the death of an Indigenous leader under circumstances that could very clearly be attributed to the Canadian government. I believe the film was deemed particularly unacceptable at the time and was pulled from theaters.”
The Louis Riel statue on the Manitoba Legislative Building grounds is pictured here on June 21, 2024. (Danton Unger/CTV News Winnipeg)
When Historica Canada’s catalogue went online, Riel’s video appeared again – until 2020.
Perry said the loss of the video raises questions about how Canadian history is being portrayed.
“Are we relying on history to help us deal with our complicated past and complicated present?” Perry said. “Because we know that we live in Canada, which is not just a place with sunny endings and happy stories.”
Chartrand said while Riel’s death cannot be ignored, his many achievements should also be recognized.
“He’s the father of Manitoba and the first premier of Manitoba,” he said. “We’ve come a long way, but it’s taken decades to get there.”
Historica Canada told CTV News there are no current plans to remake the Louis Riel video or any other Heritage Minutes.