User blog:SPARTAN 119/Louis Riel vs Macario Sakay

Louis Riel, the Métis rebel who fought for the land rights of his people in 19th century Canada

VS

Macario Sakay, the Filipino who fought against American invasions of this homeland.

=Combatants=

Louis Riel
Louis Riel was a Métis (mixed Native American and European ancestry) political leader and founder of the Canadian province of Manitoba, as well as a leader of major Métis and Native American Rebellions, the Red River Rebellion and the North West Rebellion. Riel was born in the Red River Settlement, near present-day Winnipeg Manitoba in 1844, one of eleven children of a French-Canadian Métis family. Riel was educated first by local Roman Catholic priests, and later studied in Montreal, intending to become a Catholic priest. That changed in 1864 when Riel's mother died, and Louis lost interest in the priesthood and worked as a legal clerk, before moving to the US and working odd jobs in Chicago and St. Paul Minnesota.

Riel returned to his home in the Red River Settlement in 1868, where racial, religious, and political tensions were brewing. These tensions broke out into open rebellion when a land survey denied the Métis title to their land. Riel denounced the survey in a speech, and quickly became involved with a new Métis Provisional Government, having essentially declared Manitoba to an autonomous region and declaring that Canadian authority would be contested unless they agreed to negotiate with the Métis. Riel quickly defeated a conflict within Manitoba between the Métis and a group of Canadian loyalists, arose, resulting in the capture and imprisonment of 50 members of a loyalist militia. Initially, the negotiations appeared to be making progress, however, February 17th, 1870, Major Charles Boulton and Thomas Scott, were arrested for trying to free the imprisoned Canadian loyalists. Boulton was intially sentenced to death, but was pardoned by Riel, however, Scott got into a quarrel with the guards and was charged with defying the authority of the provisional government, and executed.

The execution of Thomas Scott triggered a response from the Canadian Government, who, in 1870, sent a military expedition, which quickly put down the "Red River Rebellion" as it would later become known, and Riel was ordered into exile in the United States, where, in spite of his exile, was elected to Parliament three times, though he never took his seat. During his time in the US, Riel became convinced that he was divinely chosen to lead the Métis. Riel took the opportunity to return to Canada to represent the land rights grievances of Métis communities in Saskatchewan Territory.

Riel did so and became the leader of a Saskatchewan Provisional Government. Open rebellion broke out in 1885, when Riel heard rumors of a massive force of incoming Canadian troops to put down the new provisional goverment, and Riel responded by cutting telegraph lines and stockpiling arms. The conflict became violent when a group of Métis and Cree-Assinibione First Nations people engaged and defeated a group of North West Mounted Police and Canadian militia near Duck Lake. The victory at Duck Lake Was followed by another at Fish Creek, where 200 Métis militia defeated 900 government soldiers in a lopsided victory, and, at the Battle of Cut Knife, Riel's Cree allies routed a Canadian army under Colonel William Otter what can be described as a Canadian equivalent of the Battle of Little Bighorn.

In spite of these early successes, Riel was captured in May 12th, 1885 at the Battle of Batoche, and was convicted of high treason at a court in Regina in July, and executed by hanging in September 1885.

Riel is today viewed by many Canadians, especially Métis, First Nations, and French-Canadians as a hero who stood up for the rights of minorities against a racist majority.

Macario Sakay
(From Wikipedia)

Macario Sakay y de León was a Filipino general in the Philippine Revolution against Spain and in the Philippine-American War. According to some historians, He may have been a president of the Philippines but is currently not recognized as such by the Philippine government.

He continued resistance against the United States following the official American declaration of the war's end in 1902 and in the following year became president of the Tagalog Republic,[1]

Sakay was conned by the Americans into coming down from the mountains on promise of amnesty for him and his officials, on top of the formation of Philippine Assembly composed of Filipinos to serve as the 'gate of freedom. His surrender was made to be a prerequisite for a state of peace that would supposedly ensure the election of Filipino delegates to the Philippine Assembly. Sakay believed that the struggle has shifted to constitutional means, with the Assembly as means to winning Philippine Independence.

Dominador Gomez, a Filipino labor leader, was authorized in 1905 by Governor General Henry Clay Ide to negotiate for the surrender of Sakay and his men. Gomez met with Sakay at his camp and argued that the establishment of a national assembly was being held up by Sakay's intransigence, and that its establishment would be the first step toward Filipino independence. Sakay agreed to end his resistance on conditions that a general amnesty be granted his men, that they be permitted to carry firearms, and that he and his officers would be permitted to leave the country. Gomez assured Sakay that these conditions the would be acceptable to the Americans, and Sakay's emissary, General Leon Villafuerte, obtained agreement to them from the American Governor General. Sakay and Villafuerte traveled to Manila, where they were welcomed and invited to receptions and banquets. One invitation came from the Constabulary Chief, Col. Harry H. Bandholtz. That invitation was a colonial trap and Sakay and his principal lieutenants were disarmed and arrested while the party was in progress.[2][3]

He was accused of "bandolerismo under the Brigandage Act of Nov. 12, 1902, which interpreted all acts of armed resistance to American rule as banditry." The colonial Supreme Court of the Philippines upheld the decision.[4] On September 13, 1907, the leader of the Republic of Katagalugan, the de facto fourth President of the Philippines, was hanged. =Weapons=

Hunting Knife (Riel)
The Hunting Knife is the knife that hunters use to kill and cut open dead animals. It can also be used as a Combat Knife though that is not the exact design. For purposes of this match, the knife will be a Bowie knife, with a length of 12 inches, and its clip point.

Balisong (Sakay)
A balisong, or butterfly knife is a Filipino knife with two counterrotating handles with a grove in the center that conceals the blade when the knife is not in use. A skilled user can open the handles extremely quickly, meaning the weapon can be drawn more quickly than a conventional folding knife.

119's Edge
Riel's Hunting Knife for its longer blade

Hatchet (Riel)
A Hatchet is a small axe used for camping and wilderness survival, typically for cutting firewood. While it is not intended as a weapon, it is not unheard of for it to be used as such, mainly due to the fact that is a very common tool and because it is light and easy to wield.

Bolo (Sakay)
The bolo, also known as the itak or the sundang, is a Filipino knife similar to a machete, used for cutting grass and brush, opening coconuts, and other mundane tasks, as well as in combat. The bolo's blade widens near the end, moving the center of gravity forward and allowing in to cut with greater force. The bolo was used to devastating effect by guerillas in the Philippines Insurrection of the early 1900s, as well as in the World War II, with some guerilla's carrying no other weapons.

119's Edge
Sakay's bolo for its greater cutting ability

Colt Model 1878 (Riel)
The Colt M1878, also known as the Double Action Army, was a double action revolver designed in 1878. The weapon had a six-round cylinder, chambered in .45 Colt, the same round as the legendary Colt Single Action Army revolver.

Colt M1892 (Sakay)
The M1892 is a .38 long Colt Revolver with a double action for faster firing. Unfortunately, the weapon was known for relatively low stopping power.

119's Edge
Riel's Colt M1878 for its superior stopping power.

Martini-Henry Rifle (Riel)
The Martini-Henry was a British breach loaded single shot rifle, with a lever-opened breech block. The weapon has a muzzle velocity of about 380 meters per second, and an effective range of about 370 meters. The weapon fired a .577/450 cartridge (though the bullet was only .45 calibers in diameter, as the weapon had a necked-down casing

Springfield M1873 "Trap Door Carbine" (Sakay)
The Springfield M1873 was the first U.S. Army Standard issue breech-loading rifle. The weapon had fired .45-70 round, and was reloaded using a hinged breech block that flipped up like a trap door, hence the nickname "trap door carbine". The weapon has a muzzle velocity of 410 meters per second.

119's Edge
The rifles are similar enough to be called Even

Winchester Model 1873 (Riel)
The Winchester 1873 was a .44-40 lever-action rifle with a 15-round magazine. The weapon has a muzzle velocity of 379 meters/second.

Mauser 1893 (Sakay)
The Mauser 1893 was a bolt-action rifle with a 5-round clip chambered for 7.7mm ammunition. The weapon had a muzzle velocity of 700 meters per second. The weapon's stripper clip meant it could be reloaded more quickly than other weapons of the era.

119's Edge
The Sakay's Mauser has a greater muzzle velocity and reload speed, however Riel's Winchester has a larger magazine. Even. =X-Factors=

Explanations
Sakay wins out on tactics because of his skilled use of guerilla tactics to disrupt the American forces, however, many Filipino Insurrectionists carried nothing more than a bolo knife, with only some carrying firearms. Riel had enough firearms for all his men, though ammunition started to run low late in the North West Rebellion, leading to the use of improvised ammunition. Nonetheless, Riel takes as slight edge in logistics.