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Image: “Shelling Batoche, last shot before the attack on the guns” (guns from Battery A, Canadian Artillery Regiment, bombarding Batoche with a gun firing 9-pounder cannonballs. May 9, 1885. Batoche, Saskatchewan, during the Northwest Rebellion. Photographed by James Peters.
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a pivotal moment in Canadian history, marking a violent confrontation between the Métis, their Indigenous allies, and the Canadian government. The rebellion was fueled by grievances over land rights, political representation, and the rapid expansion of settlers into the western territories. Led by Louis Riel, the Métis sought to assert their autonomy, while Indigenous leaders such as Big Bear and Poundmaker fought to protect their people from government encroachment. The Canadian government, under Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, responded with military force, sending troops commanded by General Frederick Middleton and Colonel William Otter to suppress the uprising.
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