Grade 7 · Social Studies · Unit 7 of 10
The Métis & the Red River
Louis Riel and the Métis in the West
What your child practises
The Métis as a distinct Indigenous people, the Red River Settlement, Louis Riel and the Manitoba Act, 1885, and Métis Settlements in Alberta today.
Alberta Curriculum learning outcome: 7.2 · the Métis, the Red River Settlement and the expansion of Canada into the West
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
The Métis sash is a colourful woven belt. What is it today?
- A railway ticket
- A symbol of Métis identity and pride
- A kind of boat
- A fur trade licence
Show answer
A symbol of Métis identity and pride
Hint: Many Métis people wear sashes at celebrations.
Question 2
Why do many Métis people honour Louis Riel each year around November 16?
- It is the day of the first CPR train
- He was executed that day in 1885 and is remembered for defending Métis rights
- It is a harvest day only
- It is the day Alberta became a province
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He was executed that day in 1885 and is remembered for defending Métis rights
Hint: Louis Riel Day is marked in several provinces.
Question 3
The Manitoba Act of 1870 did what?
- Created the province of Manitoba and included some protections for Métis land and language
- Built the CPR
- Created Alberta
- Ended the fur trade
Show answer
Created the province of Manitoba and included some protections for Métis land and language
Hint: Manitoba started out as a small "postage stamp" province.
Question 4
Red River carts were a symbol of Métis travel and trade. What was special about them?
- They were built from wood, with no metal, and could be repaired anywhere on the Prairies
- They ran on rails
- They used steam engines
- They flew
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They were built from wood, with no metal, and could be repaired anywhere on the Prairies
Hint: Wood and leather could be fixed on the trail.
Question 5
The Battle of Seven Oaks (1816) involved Métis and HBC settlers. What was one cause?
- A dispute about railway rates
- A fight over a hockey game
- A conflict about voting rights
- A dispute over pemmican and land use
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A dispute over pemmican and land use
Hint: The Pemmican Proclamation tried to stop the export of pemmican.
Question 6
The Métis were skilled travellers and interpreters. Why did the fur trade need them?
- They were paid to leave
- They built the CPR
- They knew the land, spoke several languages and had family ties in many places
- They owned all the forts
Show answer
They knew the land, spoke several languages and had family ties in many places
Hint: Many Métis people helped traders and First Nations work together.