In March 1885, a group of Métis led by Louis Riel started an uprising against the Canadian government in the Districts of Saskatchewan and Alberta.  They wanted to protect their rights, land, and economic prosperity.  It included an associated uprising by First Nations who faced starvation.

General Middleton gathered his forces at Fort Qu’Appelle in April 1885.  The Métis had notable early victories at Duck Lake, Fish Creek, and Cut Knife.  During the Battle of Batoche, federal forces with the guns of A Battery and the Winnipeg Field Battery militarily defeated the Métis on 12 May 1885.  The last shots of the rebellion came at Loon Lake on 3 June 1885.

The uprising left dozens of Métis fighters and First Nations warriors dead. Federal forces lost 38 soldiers with 141 wounded, and 11 civilians perished.  The execution of Louis Riel and the marginalization of the Métis and First Nations remain controversial topics.