Women at Red River and the Resistance, 1869-1870
N. Hall, digitally constructed photo montage, “Women of Red River,” (2012).
Key, in rows, left to right, beginning from the top: ♦ Letitia
Bird (photographed 1858); Jane Inkster/ Mrs. Tait (photographed c. 1915);
Anne Christie ‘Annie’ Ballenden (born 1837); Clothilde Bruneau/ Mrs. J.F.
Grant (born 1850); Catherine McDermot/ Mrs. T. Truthwaite Sr. (born 1823);
Julie Lagimonière/ Lagimodière/ Mrs. Riel Sr. (born 1822); Rosalie Hogue
(born 1859). ♦ Mary Jane Flett/ Mrs. B. Isbister (born c. 1862);
unidentified Dakota woman (photographed 1909); Sarah ‘Sally’ Ross (born c.
1798); Hélène Dease/ Mrs. Patrice Bréland (born 1841); Marguerite
Gosselin(born 1829? or 1842?); Caroline Pruden/ Mrs. T. Sinclair Sr./ Mrs. A.
Sargent (born c. 1830); Nellie/ Mrs. Isbister and daughter (unknown); Reine
Lagimonière/ Lagimodière/ Mrs. Monette dit Belhumeur/ Mrs. Lamaire (born
1807). ♦ Anne ‘Annie’ McDermot/ Mrs. A.G.B. Bannatyne (born c. 1832);
Henrietta Ross/ Mrs. Rev. John Black (born 1830; died 1873); Hélène
Turcotte (unknown); Clothilde Bruneau/ Mrs. J.F. Grant (born 1850); Helen/
‘Mrs. John Taylor’ and infant (unknown); Henriette Riel/ Mrs. J.-M. Poitras
(born c. 1861); Priscilla Grant (unknown). ♦ Mary Anne Begg/ Mrs. W.
Isbister and infant son (born 1846); Eliza Renville/ Mrs. Jerome (born 1868);
Jane Elizabeth Still/ Mrs. W. Drever Jr. (unknown); Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’
Ballenden (born 1839); ‘Mrs. Lépine’ (unknown); Jean Fulsher (unknown); ♦
Angelique Jerome dit St. Mathe/ Mrs. J. Rollette (born c. 1826); unidentified
“Scottish Métis” woman (unknown); Catherine McBeth/ Mrs. T. McKay
(photographed c. 1874); [inset below:] Jean Anne Drever/ Mrs. Pinkham
(born 1849); ‘Mrs. James Rutherford‘ (unknown); Anne ‘Annie’ McDermot/
Mrs. A.G.B. Bannatyne(born c. 1832); Mary Isbister/ Mrs. J.E. Pruden (born
1844); ♦ Eulalie Riel/ Mrs. W. Gladu (born 1854); Marie-Anne Plamondon/
Mrs. St. Germain (unknown); Harriet Goldsmith Sinclair/ Mrs. Dr. W. Cowan
(born 1832); unidentified Saulteaux woman and infant (photographed 1895);
‘daughters ofJames Isbister‘ (unknown); Nancy Loutitt/ Mrs. W. Calder (born
1849).
In 1948, writer Lillian Beynon Thomas observed, “Historians, writing of the
early days in the Red River settlement, gave small place to women. When
they are mentioned it is usually in connection with something that was
considered a womanly occupation, such as teaching in a ladies’ school or
leading in the dance at a ball.”[1]
In an overview of the field of Métis studies published in 2001, historian Frits
Pannekoek commented on only two articles that touched on the 1869
Resistance while focusing on women.[2] The one was Diane Payment’s “La
Vie en Rose?” (1996).”[3] The other was Natalie Kermoal’s “Les Roles et les
souffrances des femmes metisse lors de le Resistance de 1870 et de la
Rebellion de 1885″ (1993).”[4] Pannekoek noted that Kermoal
described Métis women “as passive participants. Their role was private, one
of keeping the family intact and providing domestic support for the political
or public activities of their men. Women were subordinate, suffering within
the confines of a world controlled by men.” Pannekoek credited Payment with
emphasizing the role of the Catholic Church in encouraging the
“subordination of women,” though mainly after 1869.
In 2003, in a master’s thesis, “‘A Perfect Freedom': Red River as a Settler
Society, 1810-1870,” Norma Hall made the following arguments:
The most prevalent approaches to studying the Métis appear to reflect the
Euro- and andro-centric (emphasizing males) biases of source materials,
historiographical traditions, and past research cultures. If the contribution of
Aboriginal women to community life has been downplayed or misunderstood,
then, contrary to mainstream historiographic representation, women [at Red
River] may in fact have been central to Métis community formation, the
configuration of values, and social cohesion. … [Given an unbroken history of
predominantly Aboriginal maternal influence during childhood] … it is unlikely
that Métis social norms were gender-determined in a manner which
privileged male European approaches.
…
Within their own sphere, women shared information and decided matters of
importance to their survival. Their cultural background did not predispose
them to adopt an entirely passive or submissive stance with respect to their
spouses and decision-making regarding their families or themselves.
Outward deference does not necessarily indicate inner abnegation.[5]
As of 2012, little has been added to formal, academic historiography that
would shed light on the role of women during the Resistance — whether
Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal. There has been work done on illuminating the
lives of Métis women at other settlements (see for example Diane P.
Payment, “ecclectica – Marie Fisher Gaudet,”(1843-1914): ‘la Providence du
fort Good Hope’“). A recently published text, edited by Lawrence
Barkwell,Women of the Metis Nation 2d ed. (1st ed. 2009; Winnipeg, Louis
Riel Institute, 2012), includes one article, by Tod Lamirande, related to
women’s involvement and influence at Red River during the period of the
resistance. Reference to that text is included below. There are more stories in
older sources, however, that indicate political activism was engaged in by
women at Red River Settlement. The stories suggest that being denied a
formal vote at a council, convention, or assembly did not mean women did
not influence the opinions expressed at such meetings. This page will be
updated as more information about women during the Resistance is found
and organized.
[1] Lillian Beynon Thomas, “Some Manitoba Women Who did First
Things,” Manitoba Historical Society Transactions ser. 3, no. 4 (19471948), http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/firstwomen.shtml
[2] Frits Pannekoek, “Metis Studies: The Development of a Field and New
Directions,”From Rupert’s Land to Canada, ed. Theodore Binnema, Gerhard J.
Ens, and R.C. MacLeod (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2001), 111128.
[3] Diane P. Payment, “‘La Vie en Rose?’ Métis Women at Batoche, 18701920,” in Christine Miller and Patricia Chuchry, eds., Women of the First
Nations: Power, Wisdom, and Strength(Winnipeg: University of Manitoba
Press, 1996), 19-38.
[4] Nathalie Kermoal, “Les Roles et les soffrances des metisses lors de la
Reisistance de 1870 et ge la Rebellion de 1885,” Prairie Forum 19, no. 2 (Fall
1993): 153-168. See also Nathalie Kermoal, “‘Le Temps De Cayoge': La Vie
Quotienne Des Femmes Métisses au Manitoba De 1850 a 1900,” Ph.D. diss.
(Ottawa: University of Ottawa, 1996).
[5] Norma Jean Hall, “‘A Perfect Freedom': Red River as a Settler Society,
1810-1870,” M.A. thesis (Winnipeg: University of Manitoba, 2001), 66-70.
[6] Thomas, “Some Manitoba Women Who did First
Things,”http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/firstwomen.shtml
https://hallnjean2.wordpress.com/the-red-river-resistence/womenand-the-resistance/