Winnipeg is birthplace of the Métis nation and the heart of the Métis Homeland. Louis Riel was a Métis leader, the founder of the province of Manitoba and a hero to his people. He went on to lead the North-West Resistance against the Canadian Government's encroachment on Métis lands and was ultimately hanged for treason. Now he is often viewed in much kinder light and is seen as a defender of his people and their culture.