Riel (1844-1885) was born into a French MÔEtis family. As English settlers began arriving to Red River, the home of the MÔEtis, Riel, acting as leader, fought for and won some rights for the MÔEtis, who were worried that they were going to lose their farmland to the settlers. As leader of the Red River Resistance and later the North-West Rebellion, Riel was found guilty of treason against Canada and hanged, in spite of turning himself in. Today, many people think of Louis Riel as a hero. Some think he was a traitor.