The Scorched-Wood People (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Rudy Wiebe
- First Published: 1977
- Type of Work: Historical chronicle
- Time of Work: The years between December, 1869, and November, 1885
- Setting: Manitoba, the northeastern United States, Montreal, Montana, and Saskatchewan
- Principal Characters: Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont, Pierre Falcon
- Genres: Long fiction, Historical fiction
- Subjects: Politics, Race, Nineteenth century, Revolutions, Religion, Mental illness, Native Americans or American Indians, Canada or Canadians, Military life or service, Pacific Northwest, Frontier or pioneer life
- Locales: Canada, Montana, Northeast (U.S.)
The Novel
The action opens on December 8, 1869, in Fort Garry (near Winnipeg), Manitoba. Louis Riel is dressing himself carefully for a ceremony in which he will publicly declare the Metis National Committee the new Provisional Government of the North-West. The Metis, a proud people of mixed Indian-French descent, have long suffered at the hands of the grasping, omnipotent Hudson’s Bay Company and the English and Scottish settlers who regard them as savages. Like the Indians, the Metis have been stripped of their lands, wasted by the White Man’s diseases, cheated of their...
[The entire page is 2317 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
