Repatriated bell visits Dr. Brass

Students at Dr. Brass School got a chance to touch history November 19 when the Bell of Batoche came to town.

Billy DeLaRonde, keeper of the bell-also known as Marie Antoinette so-named in the Catholic tradition of baptizing new church bells-is touring the 42-pound piece of hardware around to expose it to as many children and people as possible, he said.

"The idea was that there's a story to be told about the Métis people, about the Indian people of the country and their role and their history," DeLaRonde said.

"I think that although the events at Batoche were sad and unfortunate, it's part of our history and [the tour] is a way of being able to put those stories forward."

The Battle of Batoche, of course, was a seminal moment in Métis history. Those three days in May 1885 marked the end of the "North-West Rebellion" and ultimately resulted in the hanging of Métis leader Louis Riel.

Viewed as a champion of land rights by his people, but a traitor by the federal government of the day, Riel would eventually be exonerated by Parliament with a pardon in 1999.

The story of the bell is one of intrigue and controversy, a story in which DeLaRonde is a central figure.

Seized by soldiers as a trophy of war after the 800-strong North West Field Force eventually overwhelmed the roughly 300 Métis and Aboriginal defenders, the bell was taken to Millbrook, Ontario where it resided in the fire hall for many years before being moved to the Legion hall.

There it stayed until 1991 when a group of Métis men, DeLaRonde among them, visited the Millbrook legion, even having their picture taken with the bell.

A couple of weeks later, someone broke into the Legion and stole Marie Antoinette. Police investigated, but no charges were ever laid. For 22 years, the mystery remained unsolved, until on July 20 of this year DeLaRonde presented the bell to Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert during a ceremony at Back to Batoche Days.

During the ceremony DeLaRonde admitted to the decades-old crime, although he doesn't see it quite like that.

"I repatriated it," he said. "I brought it home."

For its part, the Millbrook Legion, no longer begrudges the theft.

"The bell is where it rightfully belongs," said Dan Maebrae, who was sergeant-at-arms in 1991. "It belongs to the Métis."

The children at Dr. Brass were enthralled with Marie Antoinette, peppering DeLaRonde with questions and lining up to put their hands on it.

DeLaRonde hopes it has a lasting impact.

"It's a symbol of hope; it's a symbol of opportunity that Canada's always been," he said.

"It's a statement to the younger people never to give up in their dreams, not to quit school. The fact that Marie Antoinette was gone for 128 years and returns now, and most people thought she would be gone forever, it's a symbol of hope for young people.