Monday March 30, 2004

The Spirit Lives On

In my story about my shoe, I am talking as if I were the shoe on the foot of this Metis leader, Louis Reil. I chose to write the story of my shoe about the rebellion in which Louis Reil was the great leader.

My leader wore me for many years. I was part of him and he was part of me; we were one. I walked with him through two rebellions that my leader led. The Manitoba Rebellion (The Manitoba Act) of 1870, and the Saskatchewan or Northwest Rebellion of 1885. If I were human I would be in total favour of my owner Louis Reil. He always thought for his people, the Metis and wanted what was best for them.

My owner’s life ended in Batoche where he was tried for treason and hanged.

But now in Canada, Louis Reil is famous for his acts and known as a hero! For that when he was hanged his spirit lived on in me. As I said, ‘we were one, and we are still one.’ And over the years I have blossomed into a beautiful flower constantly growing. People can kill him physically but they could not condemn his spirit for that lives forever.

The background of my shoe dark brown faded to light brown, then to dark and light green. The text May Flowers are to show the spirit in my shoe and how it is happy. On the shoe there are many flowers blossoming and growing. I have ants walking across the front of my shoe to represent the rebellions that Louis Reil walked. My shoe shows that if you have good meaning you cannot be put down, and that the spirit lives on.