Canada’s settlers pushed westward, led by fur-traders and trappers who were predominately French Catholic. This westward push created much conflict with the aboriginal peoples. Some of these pioneers also intermarried with the aboriginal peoples producing a new ethnicity and a new culture – the Métis.
When the Canadian government made treaties with aboriginals, the Métis, being neither purely aboriginal or Caucasian, did not receive any comparable consideration. Wanting to protect their rights against the remote Anglo-Protestant government in eastern Canada, resentment grew into rebellion in Manitoba's Red River Valley in 1869.
Louis Riel was a French Canadian who lead a number of rebellions in order to protect the rights of the Metis people. He was apprehended after a failed rebellion and was put on trial for treason. Now you enter the courtroom during those five fateful days of July, 1885, when the future of a country hung in the balance, and the fate of the defendant, Louis Riel, was grim.
Louis Riel’s trial was fraught with modern day injustices and the details can all be found in the game. The rulebook explains a bit of the history, and each card has a blurb of the historical figure it represents. By the time you’re done playing, you end up very invested in the story.
