Exovedate
Encyclopedia
Exovedate is the name coined by Métis
leader Louis Riel
and given by him to his council of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
during the North-West Rebellion
in Canada
. Ten years prior to this date on December 8, 1875 after attending a mass in Washington, D. C., Riel had a religious vision where God spoke to him in Latin. Riel believed that God had chosen him to be the divine leader of the Métis and that he had been given the mission to lead them to their promised land similar to how God had chosen Moses
to lead the Jews
. From this point onward Louis took the middle name "David" and called himself "the prophet of the new world."
. The majority of the Exovedate were Métis, however it also included two French Canadians, the Sioux
chief White Cap, and Jackson, who was a white English speaking Methodist and first to be baptised into Riel's new religion.
The Exovedate's ultimate goal was for the betterment of the Métis who continued to suffer increasing marginalization and poverty in spite of the success that Riel had accomplished in founding the province of Manitoba
in 1870. It was also a means by which Riel could proselytize for his new religion, however it is not known to what extent the Exovedate understood or were indoctrinated into Riel's increasingly esoteric beliefs. They did however declare Riel "a prophet in the service of Jesus Christ and Son of God and only Redeemer of the world...".
The final meeting of the Exovedate prior to the defeat of the Métis in the North-West Rebellion was on March 31, 1885.
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
leader Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
and given by him to his council of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
The Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was the name given by Louis Riel to the independent state he declared during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 in what is today the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Although Riel initially hoped to rally the Countryborn, Cree and European settlers of the...
during the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Ten years prior to this date on December 8, 1875 after attending a mass in Washington, D. C., Riel had a religious vision where God spoke to him in Latin. Riel believed that God had chosen him to be the divine leader of the Métis and that he had been given the mission to lead them to their promised land similar to how God had chosen Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
to lead the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. From this point onward Louis took the middle name "David" and called himself "the prophet of the new world."
Background
In order to facilitate Riel's political and religious ambitions he formed the Exovedate in March 1885. Individual council members were called Exovedes. The term is a neologism invented by Riel, derived from the Latin "ex" out of and "ovis" sheep, meaning "chosen from the flock". The Exovedate was composed of twenty men, including Gabriel Dumont and Honoré JacksonHonoré Jackson
William Henry Jackson , also known as Honoré Jackson or Jaxon, was a leader of the North-West Rebellion in Canada in 1885....
. The majority of the Exovedate were Métis, however it also included two French Canadians, the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
chief White Cap, and Jackson, who was a white English speaking Methodist and first to be baptised into Riel's new religion.
The Exovedate's ultimate goal was for the betterment of the Métis who continued to suffer increasing marginalization and poverty in spite of the success that Riel had accomplished in founding the province of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
in 1870. It was also a means by which Riel could proselytize for his new religion, however it is not known to what extent the Exovedate understood or were indoctrinated into Riel's increasingly esoteric beliefs. They did however declare Riel "a prophet in the service of Jesus Christ and Son of God and only Redeemer of the world...".
The final meeting of the Exovedate prior to the defeat of the Métis in the North-West Rebellion was on March 31, 1885.
See also
- The Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples
- Métis people (Canada)Métis people (Canada)The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
- Northwest Rebellion
- Métis Population Betterment ActMétis Population Betterment ActThe Métis Population Betterment Act was an Act of the Government of Alberta in Canada, which created a committee of members of the Métis and the government to plot out lands for allocation to the Métis...
- Prince Albert VolunteersPrince Albert VolunteersThe Prince Albert Volunteers or Prince Albert Rifles were a historical body of militia organized in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which served as Canadian government militia during the North-West Rebellion....
- Bell of BatocheBell of BatocheThe bell of Batoche is a 20-pound silver church bell seized in 1885 as spoils of war from the Métis community of Batoche by soldiers from Ontario, following their victory in the Battle of Batoche over the North-West Rebellion....
- Battle of Cut KnifeBattle of Cut KnifeThe Battle of Cut Knife, fought on May 2, 1885, occurred when a small force of Cree and Assiniboine warriors were attacked by a flying column of mounted police, militia, and Canadian army regulars...
- Battle of Duck LakeBattle of Duck LakeThe Battle of Duck Lake was a skirmish between Métis soldiers of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan and Canadian government forces that signalled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion.-Prelude:...
- Battle of Fish CreekBattle of Fish CreekThe Battle of Fish Creek , fought April 24, 1885 at Fish Creek, Saskatchewan, was a major Métis victory over the Dominion forces attempting to quell Louis Riel's North-West Rebellion...
- Battle of Fort PittBattle of Fort PittThe Battle of Fort Pitt was part of a Cree uprising coinciding with the Métis revolt that started the North-West Rebellion in 1885. Cree warriors began attacking Canadian settlements on April 2...
- Battle of Frenchman's ButteBattle of Frenchman's ButteThe Battle of Frenchman's Butte, fought on May 28, 1885, occurred when a force of Cree, dug in on a hillside near Frenchman's Butte, was unsuccessfully attacked by the Alberta Field Force.-Background:...
- Frog Lake MassacreFrog Lake MassacreThe Frog Lake Massacre was a Cree uprising during the North-West Rebellion in western Canada. Led by Wandering Spirit, young Cree warriors attacked the village of Frog Lake, North-West Territories on 2 April 1885, where they killed nine settlers.- Causes :Angered by what seemed to be unfair...
- Battle of Loon LakeBattle of Loon LakeThe Battle of Loon Lake concluded the North-West Rebellion on June 3, 1885 and was the last battle fought on Canadian soil. Led by Major Sam Steele, a force of North-West Mounted Police, Alberta Mounted Rifles and Steele's Scouts caught up with and dispersed a band of Plains Cree warriors and...
- Looting of Battleford