Sara Riel facts for kids

Sara Riel (born October 11, 1848 – died December 27, 1883) was the first Métis woman from the Red River Colony to become a Grey Nun. She is well-known as the sister of the famous Métis leader, Louis Riel.

Sara was born in 1848 in the Red River settlement. Her parents were Jean-Louis Riel and Julie Lagimodière. She grew up in a very religious home. Her mother, Julie, was very devoted to her Christian faith and taught Sara a lot. Sara also went to school with the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, also known as the Grey Nuns. She was inspired to become a nun after her brother Louis thought about becoming a priest. Even though Louis did not become a priest, Sara made her official promises to become a nun in 1868.

From 1868 to 1871, Sara taught languages and arts at the Grey Nuns' boarding schools. After that, she became a Catholic missionary, someone who travels to spread their faith. Her family was very involved in the Red River community, especially during the Métis resistance. Even though Sara was far from her family, her letters showed she supported the Métis cause. Because her brother was leading the resistance against the government, the Grey Nuns worried about her safety in 1869. They moved her several times over a few years.

Sara did not take an active part in the fighting. However, she supported her brother and spoke for the Métis to local Catholic Churches. In 1871, she became the first Métis missionary from Red River. She traveled to Île-à-la-Crosse in northern Saskatchewan. In 1872, Sara Riel became very sick and almost died. After saying she had a vision from God, Sara Riel changed her name to ‘Sister Marguerite-Marie of Alacoque’. She renewed her promises to the Catholic Church. She died from tuberculosis in 1883 when she was 35 years old.

Early Life in Red River

Sara Riel was born on October 11, 1848, in Red River Colony. This was a small community that grew because of the North American fur trade. Later, it expanded when Lord Selkirk brought more settlers. In the 1850s, Red River was a very isolated place. You could only reach it by water, which made it almost impossible to get to in winter.

The North West Company's fur trade was the main way people made money there. Strong friendships formed between the company and the Indigenous peoples. They taught each other important ways to survive and adapt. This included buffalo hunting, farming, and using traditional medicine. Over time, Red River became home mostly to retired fur traders and their families. This led to a new generation of children who were part European and part Indigenous. These were the Métis, and they had their own special culture.

Sara's Family Background

Sara Riel's father was Jean-Louis Riel, born in 1817. He was a voyageur (a fur trader who traveled by canoe) for the North West Company. He was a fifth-generation settler of French-Canadian background. In Red River, Jean-Louis Riel became an important person among the Métis. He encouraged them to keep their Métis heritage and be proud of their culture. He also led many Métis movements, like one connected to the Sayer Trial in 1849.

Sara and Louis Riel's mother, Julie Lagimodière, was born in 1822. She also came from a French family that had blended with Métis culture. She passed on these traditions to her children. Before she got married, Julie Lagimodière had planned to join the Grey Nuns. However, her parents chose for her to marry Jean-Louis Riel. This was to make sure their daughter would have financial and social security.

Sara Riel was the fourth child born to Jean-Louis Riel and Julie Lagimodière. Louis was the firstborn. Two children born after Louis did not survive past birth. This created a special bond between Louis and Sara, as they were the two oldest children who lived. The Riel family had 11 children in total, but only 8 lived to be adults. The Riel family was respected in Red River. Their children had a more privileged life, which was closely connected to the Catholic Church.

Education was very important to the Riel family. Julie Riel took it especially seriously, as she herself had wanted to join the sisterhood before marriage. She taught her children about the Catholic Church.

Education and Becoming a Nun

St. Boniface Cathedral and the Grey Nuns' Convent in 1858, where Sara Riel studied.

Sara Riel went to school at the Sisters of Charity boarding school in St. Boniface. She was very good at many subjects, including languages, art, and music. She also learned household skills like cooking, cleaning, spinning, knitting, sewing, and embroidering. The Grey Nuns believed that how neat and clean the Métis were showed how good the schooling from the Church was. So, they encouraged the young girls to become very skilled in household chores.

She attended school in St. Boniface from 1858 until 1866. In 1866, she was chosen to join the Grey Nuns. Two years later, in 1868, she became the first Métis Grey Nun from Red River. Sara was skilled in many languages, including French, English, Michif, and Cree. The Church wanted her to be a teacher. They also wanted her to be a go-between for missionaries and Indigenous people.

After her father died in 1864, Louis became the head of the family. He was responsible for his mother and younger brothers and sisters, including Sara. He and the other children had to leave school to help with farming and taking care of the family home. Sara Riel was the only one allowed to stay in school and follow her path to become a nun.

Dedication to Religion

The Riel family was very dedicated to their children's education. Their mother, Julie, was especially devoted to the Church. She taught her children about God's will. The family was very close to Alexandre-Antonin Taché, who was the head of the Catholic Church in St. Boniface. Through him, Sara Riel learned about missionaries. Louis Riel was even chosen to study to become a priest. However, Louis Riel left school in 1865, giving up his wish to join the Church. He did not return home from Montreal until after his father's death.

Following her brother's path, Sara Riel was accepted by the Grey Nuns as a new member in 1866. Two years later, in 1868, Sara Riel made her vows and officially joined the Catholic community. At this time, Red River had only 26 sisters working as missionaries. Many of them came from Quebec. They helped provide a better education for children born in the country and for the Métis.

On June 22, 1871, Sister Riel left for the mission of Île-à-la-Crosse, which is now in northern Saskatchewan. A local Red River newspaper, Le Métis, reported on her departure. It said that Sister Riel was believed to be the first missionary from the Métis nation of Red River. It praised her kind heart, sharp mind, and endless kindness. Her leaving was a sacrifice for her family and the community, but also an honor and a blessing.

The Red River Resistance (1869-1870)

The first Métis resistance happened between 1869 and 1870. This took place after the Canadian government was formed and surveyors started appearing on Métis land. The Hudson's Bay Company sold Rupert's Land to the Canadian Government. They did this without thinking about the people who lived there or had claims to the land. Louis Riel and the other Métis believed that the creation of the Canadian state was not just a political issue. They also saw it as a threat to their religion and culture. Determined to protect their way of life, the Métis people took action.

After stopping the surveyors, the Métis of Red River formed their own temporary government. Louis Riel was the leader of this government. During the conflict, the Métis took control of Fort Garry. A man named Thomas Scott died during the conflict. This event made the Canadian government pay attention to the people living on the land. This uprising eventually led to the creation of the province of Manitoba.

Because Sara and Louis Riel were very close, and tensions were high between the Métis and the government, the Grey Nuns had to be very careful with Sara Riel. By 1869, the nuns worried about Sister Riel's safety. With the resistance happening, she was moved back to St. Boniface. Sara Riel was not happy about this move. When she learned she would have to do manual and household chores, she felt it was a step down from all her hard work. Sister Riel wrote in one of her letters that her mission was over and she was placed in the day school. She also had to mend and wash the community's clothes, a job that kept her busy.

Despite all the stress and chaos the resistance brought, Sister Riel kept writing to her brother. In her many letters, Sara often told Louis to stay strong and fight for what they both believed in. In September 1868, she wrote to him, telling him to get rid of sad thoughts. She believed that with time and God's help, the difficulties would disappear. She told him to be confident and that they must do their duties, he as a Christian and she as a sister of charity.

When Louis Riel was in hiding after the first uprising, Sara Riel wrote him several letters. She showed confidence and love, and even shared important information. She wrote that she truly believed it would be an insult to God to doubt the success of their cause. She reminded him of a time when everything seemed over, but it was God's will for him to be overthrown so he could succeed better later. In another letter, she described the sadness the Métis felt after he left. She wrote that they should bury their sorrows in God's sacred heart and that love and prayer were the weapons they needed to win.

During Louis Riel's time in hiding, Sister Riel and Bishop Taché knew where he was. They even helped him with news and information about Canadian politics. This was also around the time Sara Riel considered going into hiding herself. But like her letters to Louis, they both had to wait for the right time. This was a difficult period for Sara Riel. She prayed for her brother's health and safety.

After the resistance, the people of Red River elected Louis Riel to a seat in Parliament in 1873. However, he was wanted in Canada for the death of Thomas Scott. This stopped him from taking his seat and delayed his return to Red River. The last Métis resistance happened in 1885, one year after Sara Riel died.

Later Life and Legacy

Sara Riel was often mentioned in the writings and letters of the Grey Nuns. She was a very active, important, and hardworking member of the clergy. She was often recognized for her actions.

In 1872, Sister Riel became very ill and almost died one day after choir practice. After a miraculous recovery, she said that God had saved her, and her faith became even stronger. She changed her name to “Marguerite-Marie of Alacoque” after having a vision from God.

In the 1880s, her health started to get worse. Sara Riel suffered from tuberculosis for many years. When her health became very serious, she was given permission to return to Red River to be with her family in her final days. Sister Riel refused this offer. She was determined that her mission was in Île-à-la-Crosse and she would stay there until the end.

Sara Riel died on December 27, 1883, at the age of 35. She served the Catholic Church as a Nun for just over 17 years. She worked as a teacher, a translator, or a missionary. The records from Île-à-la-Crosse described her last moments as full of suffering and difficulties. One of her final letters was to her brother, Louis Riel. She told him she loved him. She also reminded him to be strong and to stay dedicated to God in everything he did.

On April 27, 1885, the day after the Green Lake Post was robbed during the North-West Rebellion, the Grey Nuns of Île-à-la-Crosse were very scared. They feared that Louis Riel, who had accused them of letting his younger sister die in misery, would seek revenge. They fled the village along with most of the people and families from the Hudson's Bay Company Post and the Roman Catholic Mission. The large group camped on a small wooded island north of Patuanak until the danger was over. They returned to Île-à-la-Crosse on May 29, 1885.

Sara Riel's Importance Today

Today, Sara Riel is not talked about as much as her brother, Louis Riel. However, the Riel family home still stands in Red River. It has become a historical site in Manitoba. It is known as the birthplace of the Métis resistance.

Sara Riel is seen as an important figure in the history of Métis women, of Red River, and of Catholic missionaries. She wrote a lot, which left many letters and documents behind. This allows historians and scholars to learn about her life, her family, and the people during the time of the resistance. Although in the 1970s Sara was sometimes seen in a less positive way, her letters provide important information about Canadian history. They offer a different look into many parts of life in the 1800s.

Images for kids

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  St. Boniface Cathedral and the Grey Nuns' Convent in 1858, where Sara Riel studied.