Charles Nolin

Charles Nolin (* 1837 in Saint-Boniface , Manitoba , † January 28, 1907 in Battleford , Saskatchewan ) was a Canadian politician . He played a leading role in the Métis' Northwest Rebellion and initially supported his cousin Louis Riel , but declared the suppression of the uprising at the trial against him and thus contributed to his being sentenced to death.

biography

Nolin was a relatively wealthy farmer in the Red River Colony and was one of those Métis who advocated the transfer of Rupert's land to Canada. At the start of the Red River Rebellion , he defied his cousin Louis Riel and was one of the few men to obey John Stoughton Dennis ' call for armed resistance. However, he soon changed his mind and was elected to the council convened by Riel to discuss Donald Smith's offer to negotiate. However, he was a member of the council for a short time because of disagreement. Bishop Alexandre-Antonin Taché had to mediate in the dispute between Riel and Nolin.

In the first elections to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly in December 1870, Nolin was unsuccessful. In October 1871, he participated in repelling a raid of the Fenian Brotherhood led by William Bernard O'Donoghue . In the elections in December 1874, Nolin was elected in the constituency of Sainte-Anne, then he was Minister of Agriculture for a year. In 1879 he lost his mandate because of various corruption cases and then moved to what is now the province of Saskatchewan .

In 1884, more and more people in the southern part of the Northwest Territories complained about grievances. Together with others, Nolin prepared a petition to the federal government and advocated that Louis Riel should represent their concerns. Nolin belonged to the provisional government of Saskatchewan proclaimed by Riel and was commissioned in March 1885 to deliver an ultimatum to Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier . Nolin escaped during the Battle of Duck Lake but was arrested shortly afterwards. In return for his release, he promised to testify as a key witness in the high treason trial against Riel . His statements were instrumental in ensuring that Riel was sentenced to death.

In gratitude, Nolin was appointed justice of the peace by the conservative territorial government and received various recognitions and contracts. In 1891 he ran in Batoche for a seat in the parliament of the territory, the following year he had to give up his seat again because of corruption.

Web links

• Charles Nolin . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
• Charles Nolin's testimony at the trial of Louis Riel