Activity 4: Louis Riel & Malala Yousafzai

Louis Riel (1844-1885) was one of the most controversial leaders in Canadian history. Known as a hero to the Métis for being one of the few to stand up for Aboriginal Rights and create a government of his own. Leading his people very close to the victory of Rupert’s Land, Riel was looked up to as a inspiring role model, and even a Father of Confederation. However, Riel was also seen to be a traitor to the Canadian government, by earning a violent reputation for his people, Riel was banished to the U.S. for five years, where he experienced depression and illusions. After being smuggled back into Canada by friends, Louis seemed to believe he was a prophet of God and was superior to others. Riel came back to his senses when the …show more content…
Leading a firing squad, Riel murdered Thomas Scott, a land surveyor who had grown to dislike Riel’s rebellions towards selling the land to settlers. Executed for murder, Riel betrayed his people, and could easily have prevented Scott’s murder, and his own execution. On November 16, 1885, Louis Riel died a contentious leader: a hero to his people, yet a traitor to his country.

Malala Yousafzai is the voice for girls’ education. On October 9th, 2012, in an attempt to assasinate her, the Taliban (a terrorist group) shot Malala in the head from a point blank range. The reason for this attempted assassination was because she spoke against their customs, their rules, and their threats. At the age of ten, Swat Valley, a remote town, was dominated by the Taliban, a group working with Al Queda. Completely changing their way of life, residents were forced