Abstract
Louis Riel was the leader of the Métis uprisings of 1869 and 1885. The trajectory of Riel's dynamic memory from 1885 to 2001 is marked by his characterization as charismatic national leader, state traitor, cultural hero, symbol of reconciliation, and icon of 'postnationalism'. The initially simple metanarrative of a conflict between a proto-Métis-nation and an expansive proto-Canadian-state has been loaded with several discourses. Métis identity; Aboriginal rights; Western alienation; French-Canadian identity; state-nationbuilding. These may be discerned in the tensions permeating the commemoration of Riel's role in Canadian history at various sites throughout Canada over time. This paper will demonstrate the power of 'corporeal politics' as nationalizing-states approach the reconstruction of national eidolons, national chronicles, and national identities.
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