Chester Brown. (2006). Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography. Drawn & Quarterly.
Walter Hildebrandt. (1985). The Battle of Batoche: British small warfare and the entrenched Métis. Ottawa : National Historic Parks and Sites Branch, Parks Canada.
Joseph Boyden. (2010). Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont. Penguin, Toronto.
Maggie Siggins. (2003). Riel: A life of revolution. HarperCollins,Toronto.
And if you are in Regina in July please attend The Trial of Louis Riel, a production by Riel Co. Productions.
lyrics
1885 Part III – Riel’s Rebellion
They sent the men, marching north to rebellion,
They sent the men to put it down.
They left from Fort Qu’Appelle, one spring morning,
And went to face Louis Riel.
Of the troops, some were seasoned, some were only boys,
You could see their hands shaking.
For Louis Riel, was already legend,
And it was the homeland of his people they were invading.
Well stand your ground boys, Stand your ground,
When the rebel, comes around,
You’ve got to stand your ground
Though your heart may be racing, you want to run,
Stand your ground son.
They were marching through fish creek, when they heard the guns a-firing,
And the redcoat men, stood their ground.
Six men dead, fifty more lay bleeding,
Blood runs red, to the Saskatchewan.
But onwards they marched, onwards to Batoche,
Where Riel had ordered his men.
And these Metis farmers, defenders of their land,
Dug their rifle pits and waited.
Stand your ground, Stand your ground,
When the redcoat, comes around,
You’ve got to stand your ground.
They’ve refused your petitions, and led you to the gun,
Stand your ground son.
Well the Metis were outnumbered 4 to 1,
They fought until their bullets were exhausted.
Middleton’s troops ran through their defenses,
And Batoche had fallen.
He was three days on the run, before Riel surrendered,
In return for the freedom of his people.
They took him to the capital of the North-west,
And charged him with high treason.
Stand your ground Riel, Stand your ground,
Your cause is just, your conscience clear,
Stand your ground without fear
You took up arms to protect the Métis’ claims,
Stand your ground without shame.
The judge issued his sentence, ignoring pleas for mercy,
He blamed Riel for the bloodshed.
Louis Riel, hero of the Métis, you will,
“hang by the neck ‘til you are dead.”
credits
from The Qu'Appelle Valley,
released April 29, 2016
Vocals: B.D. Willoughby
Lead Guitar: Kris Smith
Rhythm Guitar: B.D. Willoughby
Bass: Scott Fulton
Drums: Mark Budd
Keyboards: Steve ‘The Hat’ Jeske
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 29, 2020
Durham, NC singer-songwriter Skylar Gudasz makes intimate Americana delivered with dry wit and stunningly precise vocal acumen. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 14, 2020
