Reading Wednesday

Just finished: The Audacity of His Enterprise: Louis Riel and the Métis Nation That Canada Never Was, 1840–1875 by M. Max Hamon. This was an interesting read. It's a book that's in conversation with other books. Historically, Riel was viewed by white settler society as a rebel and a traitor, then rehabilitated as a rebel and a hero (you can tell because we call it the Red River Resistance now, rather than the Red River Rebellion, as it was called when I took Canadian History in high school), but Hamon's book examines Riel as a statesman and nation-builder, working within the system rather than outside. Well backed up with evidence (so much evidence) this is a very detailed look at a perspective on Riel's life and work that I haven't seen before. I was hoping for more geeky details on governance and shared power, which there's really not, and I'm still unsure as to whether he had a blueprint for what Canada would look like with Métis and First Nations peoples' rights respected. But very intriguing.

Currently reading: Gotta go through my books and see what I have up next.