Poésies: Religieuses et Politiques is a collection of poetry by Louis Riel. It was published in 1886, the year following Riel’s execution by hanging for high treason for his leadership of and participation in the North-West Resistance of 1885 (see also The Queen vs. Louis Riel: Accused and Convicted of the Crime of High Treason).
In his youth, Riel went to seminary in Montreal to study to become a priest. During this time, he also became interested in poetry. His religious beliefs are clear in much of the poetry found in Poésies. In “Mon Sauveur” (My Savior), Riel writes, “O Jésus-Christ! je veux n’entendre / Et n’écouter que votre voix. / Je veux abéir et me render / En tout, à l’Esprit de vos lois.” (“O Jesus Christ! I do not want to hear / And listen only to your voice. / I want to obey and surrender / In all, to the Spirit of your laws.”) Additionally, Riel wrote poetry about his political perspectives and opinions as a Métis leader. In the poem titled “A Sir John A. Macdonald” (To Sir John A. Macdonald), Riel writes, “Au lieu de la paix qu’il me doit, / Au lieu de respecter d’une manière exacte / Notre Pacte / Et mon droit, / Depuis bientôt dix ans, Sir John me fait la guerre,” which, translated into English means, “Instead of the peace he owes me, / Instead of respecting in an exact manner / Our Pact / And my right, / For nearly ten years Sir John has been at war with me.” In this poem, he also discusses aspects of the Red River Resistance, including naming individuals who actively opposed the provisional government.
An image of Louis Riel’s poem “A Sir John A. Macdonald” is included below. The Canadian Encyclopedia includes this primary source as part of a partnership with the Canadian Research Knowledge Network's Canadiana collections. For the work in its entirety, please visit their website.
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A Sir John A. Macdonald from Poésies: Religieuses et Politiques
(by Louis Riel, courtesy Canadiana)