Louis Riel (1844 -1885) was a Canadian politician and the founder of the province of Manitoba. As leader of the Metis people of the Canadian prairies, he led two resistance movements against the Canadian government. Riel fought to preserve the culture and rights of the Metis people in the Northwest. The first resistance was the Red River Rebellion of 1869-1870. As a result he was forced to flee to the United States where he lived in exile. While a fugitive, he was elected three times to the Canadian House of Commons, although he never assumed his seat. His story is an interesting historical look at Canada and one of its most famous citizens.