The 1885 Northwest Resistance had roots in the 1870s, when the Métis were excluded from political representation in the North-West Territories. Even after gaining some representation in the 1880s, the federal government ignored their petitions for land titles and political recognition—concerns rooted in their dispossession after the Red River Resistance.

Tensions culminated in the Battle of Batoche, where the Métis, numbering 250–300, made a final stand against General Middleton’s forces. Despite their strategic defenses and determined resistance, they were outgunned and exhausted, with only 50–60 fighters and limited ammunition remaining by the final day. The Canadian forces eventually broke through, resulting in casualties, including the bayoneting of elderly men like 93-year-old Joseph Ouellette.

Following the battle, Métis women, children, and Elders emerged from hiding, marking the end of armed resistance—though Métis resistance would continue through other means.