Strange Empire

by Joseph Kinsey Howard

With passion and verve, Joseph Kinsey Howard, author of the best-selling Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome, narrates the tragic story of Riel, the Metis people, and their struggle for a homeland on the plains of the U.S.-Canada border.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Adult

637 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

Reviews

[Julie Richert-Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a remarkable sliver of our history in the West and the layers of complicated coincidences and political maneuvers that shaped expansionism could not be handled more masterfully than JKH does. It is a tragedy to have lost him so early in his career.
This book contains vast perspectives, narrated as a true journalist does. But more than history, it evokes the magnificence of people.

"People like that (the Metis) have one sure and certain loyalty. It is place. It may be as tiny as a burial ground where the bones of their forefathers rest; it may be half a continent whose landmarks bear the names their progenitors bestowed. Acre, or empire, they will fight for it until the spirit is dead. This is the story of such a place, and why it was worth fighting for."

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me forever to get through, but it was really interesting. This was a story I had never heard anything about in all my years of public school in the US, and in Montana. The struggle of the Metis was a different, though similar, sort of struggle than the tribes of the first nations. This book was interesting in many respects, but I thought the writing and perspective were particularly interesting since it was written so long ago.

I definitely have a greater appreciation for my ancestors, though I felt like I could have learned even more about the people, their culture and what's happened since this book was written instead of focusing so much on Louis Riel. Still, a really interesting read but not an easy one, necessarily.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange Empire is a history book written by a man motivated not only by a desire to know what really happened, but also by his compassion for and solidarity with his subjects. And in fact his retelling is overflowing with "subjects" - historical characters drawn so clearly in all their physical and mental aspects, and in their motivations, their dreams and their downfalls, that you can't help but be amazed at the extent of Howard's research and enthralled by the surprising, triumphant, but ultimately sad story that he tells.
History is written by the winners, and the winners never taught you this stuff in school: The true story of how there could have been an independent nation of Natives in the heart of North America. Or, failing that, how what became western Canada could have become, instead, part of the United States. Destiny was not quite as manifest as we were led to believe. Things could have been different, if only. It is profound to consider this. It's also profound and important to know that, even as people and cultures were torn apart and degraded, they did not entirely pass from the face of the earth. Their erasure was far from complete, and their humanity was never erased. Though Howard's story ends, the history of the Métis has not and will not.
Strange Empire is subtitled both "A Narrative of the Northwest" and, on the cover of this edition, "the story of Louis Riel, the Métis people, and their struggle for a homeland on the plains of the United States-Canada border." This edition also includes an informative introduction by folklorist Nicholas C. P. Vrooman, which lays out some background for those who aren't familiar with Joseph Kinsey Howard or with the story of the Métis. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the history of Native North America or the North American west. Or anyone who wants to learn about an amazing, and largely unknown, part of our history.

[C. James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I spent time in Canada I had never heard of Louis Riel. As an American there for academic research It seemed a good idea to learn something about the country. The film Archivist at the National Film Board of Canada recommended this book. Riel was of mixed race (French-Indian) known as Metis. They had settled in Saskatchewan along the rivers in small farms. Influence of the Canadian government moved west in the form of surveyors who proceeded to plat their land for settlement as though no one lived there. Riel, who had become a lawyer, became their leader and was even elected to the Canadian Parliament but not allowed to take his seat. After all attempts at negotiation fail, he (reluctantly) sanctioned armed resistance. The tragedy of Riel is told with sweeping prose fitting the West of which Howard wrote with verve and compassion in his first book "Montana: High, Wide and Handsome. Strange Empire is historical writing at its best.

[Nicholas Aune · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Strange Empire, Howard tell the whole story of Louis Riel's life long struggle to gain self governing rights for the Metis population in Canadian and American territories while fighting a losing battle against nationalists, imperialists, radicals, and opportunists. Howard's rather lengthy book does have a great narrative and has a lot of research (at least according to the bibliography), but it is rather controversial among Riel scholars. Be careful as the book is full of factual errors, flawed illustrations, and really vague sources.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found it fascinating and very we'll written. Not for everyone, though. Highly recommended for history buffs, especially if you're interested in little known aspects of Canadian history and American Indian history. The story of mixed blood (mostly) French-Indian people trying to make a home for themselves in the rapidly changing and Anglicizing (?) Canada of the late 1800s.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic work of history, whether or not one has any knowledge of western Canada. If you want to learn about a fascinating character and a strange set of events that helped make North America what it is today, read this book. Though decades old, it doesn’t feel dated at all.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. It fills in a lot of gaps in my knowledge.

What stands out to me tho, in my modern perspective, is the author's "White Savior" tone. By the end, it bothered me a lot.