Alberta asks Ottawa to clear Riel of treason

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] For the last two years, the Alberta government has been quietly asking Ottawa to pardon Metis hero Louis Riel, who was hanged for treason more than 100 years ago.

A petition has been sent to the federal justice department and Ottawa is reported to be considering the action.

Larry Desmeules, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, welcomed Alberta's efforts to exonerate Riel as a step towards clearing up what he called a mis-interpretation of history.

"Unfortunately, history has not been read in an appropriate way and we have ample evidence to prove it," he said.

But the government's move has not received a warm welcome in all quarters.

At least one history professor at the University of Alberta objected to the petition and accused the government of trying to rewrite history.

"Frankly, I object to trying to rewrite history," said Rod MacLeod. "History is something that people should read about and decide on their own, not something governments should decide for them."

Desmeules called MacLeod's remarks "out to lunch" and blamed the educational system for perpetuating the idea that Riel was, in part, an outlaw.

"They have to set the record straight. They (educators) are spreading falsehoods," he said. "Teachers often perpetuate false history to their students. It's sort of a black eye on the faces of our people."

While objecting to the province's actions on Riel, MacLeod agreed that Metis history has been overlooked in the schools even though the Metis played a significant role in building western Canada.

"In the past--and to some degree in the present-- the educational system ignored the history of the Metis people simply because it wasn't written," he said. "History ends up in the text books and the schools when people go out there and write it.

Riel was recently honored as a founder of Manitoba in a special motion in Parliament brought forward by Constitutional Affairs Minister Joe Clark. The motion recognized the Metis leader's "unique and historic role" in bringing Manitoba into

Confederation and noted that Riel "paid with his life" fighting for Metis rights.

Riel was hanged in 1885, six months after Metis forces under his leadership clashed with government troops in a four-day battle at Batoche, Sask., at the climax of

the Northwest Rebellion.

Riel was also instrumental in developing the Manitoba Act in the 1870s, which guaranteed land for Metis people.