Riel ya jagoranci tawaye guda biyu a kan gwamnatin Kanada da kuma firaministan farko na farko bayan Confederation, John A. Macdonald. Riel ya nemi ya kiyaye hakkoki da al'adun Métis yayin da ƙasashensu na Arewa maso Yamma suka kasance a ƙarƙashin tasirin Kanada. A cikin shekarun da suka gabata, Francophones, Katolika na Katolika, 'yan gwagwarmayar' yan ƙasa, da New Movement sun sanya shi jarumi na jama'a. Arguably, Riel ya sami ƙarin ƙwarewar ilimi fiye da kowane tarihi.
John A. Macdonald