From the Gallows: The Lost Testimony of Louis Riel

Erin Millions teaches in the Department of History at the University of
Saskatchewan.

Doyle, a political scientist and honorary Métis, served as
commissioner on the unofficial North West People’s Enquiry into the
career of Louis Riel that marked the centennial of Riel’s death in
1985. The enquiry’s purpose was to answer those questions that Riel
was not allowed to address at his trial. From the Gallows presents the
enquiry’s conclusions.

A work of creative nonfiction, the book consists of a reconstruction of
Riel’s Last Words, which was supposedly prepared for a royal
commission that he requested but was never granted. Written in the first
person from Riel’s perspective, the book covers all of his life but
concentrates on the period from 1869 to his death. Riel focuses on
explaining and justifying his actions at Red River and Batoche. Doyle is
decidedly sympathetic and argues that Riel never committed treason and
was not insane. He concludes that Riel was a victim of colonialism,
racism, and cultural genocide, and that his proper place in Canadian
history has been denied him. Doyle’s writing style is engaging and
combines narrative with quotes from primary sources.

Unfortunately, the lack of documentation leaves the reader uncertain as
to which parts of From the Gallows are fact and which have been
fabricated. This limits the book’s value as a historical source:
general readers may be entertained but Riel scholars will find little
new or useful here.