11 Libby Compton

Libby Compton was born in Brandon, Manitoba, during the turbulent years of the Northwest (Riel) Rebellion. She died just afew months short of her 103rd birthday.

In her last years, spent in the manor in Montague, she surrounded herself with the memorabilia of a lifetime. She loved to talk of her past, of her fami ly — of her son Dan, a former Speaker ofthe Prince Edward Island Legislature. She was proud of her life, proud to have been a pioneer in the world in which she was young.

Pioneers had to learn to be self—sustaining. They had to learn to look after things. One thing I never did was get panicky. I could keep pretty cool in an emergency. That was one quality I had, I guess.

Beginnings

I was born around the [time of] the Northwest Rebellion. When Louis Riel was executed.

I believe that Louis Riel was in the right. He was a Métis or a half-breed and all he was doing was pleading the cause for his people. He might have been a bit fanatic, but that’s all he asked. But the whites thought them— selves quite a superior race and they were not fair to the Indians. They’re still not really fair to them. But he was a very religious man, a sincere Catholic. He was arrested after a certain length of time and I think it was hung he was. My sympathy always went to the Indians of that period.

The time of the Northwest Rebellion, the trouble was growing and there was quite a bit of nasty work done among the Indians and the white man.

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