Henry's Songbook

Throughout the course of history
Man has struggled to be free
To break the chains that tie him down
And turn the tide of fate around
But some who lust for power and greed
Deny these rights in word and deed
Though unjust laws they may contrive
Man will keep his dream alive

So raise the banner, let it fly
Let "We are Meti!" be our cry
Stand up against the rogues and thieves
Let each man live as he believes
The Spirit of Riel lives on
Within the heart of everyone
For Man will struggle to be free
And will do through eternity

Riel died and his people grieved
He died for that which he believed
That we are Metis, everyone
And have been so since times begun
But those who tried to still his voice
Are wrong to think they can rejoice
For after they are dead and gone
The Spirit of Riel lives on

So raise the banner, let it fly
Let "We are Meti!" be our cry
Stand up against the rogues and thieves
Let each man live as he believes
The Spirit of Riel lives on
Within the heart of everyone
For Man will struggle to be free
And will do through eternity

We are all Meti

(as sung by Arran Bede)

[1994:] The Metis (Mixed Blood) are a nation of native American mixed with French and a bit of Scots and others. Louis David Riel led their struggle for recognition as a people, for their land and their legal rights and was hanged for his efforts in 1868 [sic!]. Their struggle goes on. (Notes Arran Bede, 'The Gossamer Mansion')

[1995:] Honore Jaxon died in New York in 1952. He was born as William Henry Jackson and was Riel's English secretary during the 1885 Rebellion. When evicted from his apartment at the age of ninety, Jaxon found himself on the side walk with more than a ton of books and papers that he said was the foundation for a library for the Native People of Saskatchewan. He died in a psychiatric wing, the books and papers went to the dump. (James Keelaghan, 'A Recent Future')

http://www.tcel.com/~brownb/Mtfullst.htm
http://library.usask.ca/northwest/index/subject/33.html
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=17431