David Milton McGowan

Writing Outside the Lines           I was reading an article in the “Roundup” magazine from Western Writers of America about “writing outside the lines.” I wasn’t into it very far when I realized, that is exactly what I do. In my stories I often include back ground that is not in keeping with accepted and promoted history. The reason for that is that I’ve found things that sometimes don’t support the usual teaching. The following are a very few facts I’ve found over several years of research that disagree with what is often accepted. 1.      “Nothing of significance happened in Canada” Several dozen significant events took place in Canada. Several wars where fought on her soil; between France and England (several times), between England and the USA, between several aboriginal nations and Norwegian, French and British forces. Events in Canada had an impact on and continue to have an impact on world event...

“Into the Mountains”   background Gabriel Dumont Louis Riel's Children Jean Louis and Angelique In 1885 after years of unfulfilled promises from Canada’s Federal Government the M é tis of the North Battleford and Frog Lake areas of the North West Territories (in today’s province of Saskatchewan) rebelled over their treatment. It was known as the Northwest Rebellion or the Second Riel Rebellion since it was led by Louis Riel who had led a rebellion in 1870 in the Fort Gary/Red River area (today’s Winnipeg). Riel was indeed the leader but the military leader or M é tis General was Gabriel Dumont and they were joined by some Assiniboine and Cree people. Despite being ill equipped in relation to the Canadian Militia and North West Mounted Police … (Though both sides had some repeating rifles about half of the M é tis’s were muzzle loading/percussion weapons. Toward the end when supplies where disappearing a few flint locks appeared. ) Martini-Henri 1871 in...

Apparently there are those that think our ancestors always had the worst of motives when they presented their ideas. John A. McDonald and Sir Isaac Brock were not creating a country they were stealing. Samuel de Champlain, Henry Hudson and Giovanni Caboto were not mapping new country they were subjugating the populace in “new” lands. Having read some of the writings of John A. and of those around him I’m 100% sure that he wanted free of the oppressive, ignorant demands of the British Colonial Secretary. His second concern was that the neighbor  to the south would attempt to absorb “his” country. He also thought that the various “Indian” (ie: aboriginal) peoples would be defeated by a more efficient economic system and history proved him correct. He also thought that they should learn some of the systems brought from Europe or the peoples, their societies and language would also disappear. History almost proved that to be correct as well but due to an understanding impar...