David Grebdstad: Forks of Destiny: The Red River Resistance

Title: Forks of Destiny: The Red River Resistance and the Creation of Modern Canada

Talk Description:This lecture delves into the pivotal Red River Resistance of 1869-70, a defining moment in Canadian history. Centered around the perspectives of the Métis community in the North West, the lecture revisits the complex socio-political landscape that led to the resistance.

The Métis, a distinct cultural group with deep ties to both Indigenous and European heritage, found themselves at the heart of a crisis as Canada expanded westward. Their homeland, the Red River Settlement, located in what is now modern Winnipeg, became the focal point for asserting rights and preserving their way of life against the expanding Canadian dominion.

We will explore the leadership of Louis Riel and the Provisional Government, which sought to negotiate terms that would respect Métis land rights and cultural identity. The lecture will examine how the resistance was not just a local conflict but a critical juncture in shaping a nation. Resolving the crisis was essential for Canada to fulfill its vision of a transcontinental dominion, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

By understanding the Métis viewpoint and the broader implications of the Red River Resistance, we gain insight into how this event forged the foundations of modern Canada, transforming a fragmented territory into a unified, expansive nation.

Biography:

Colonel David Grebstad was born and raised in the small town of Dryden, Ontario located about halfway between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. In 1990 he enlisted in the Canadian Army Primary Reserve with the 116th Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery in Kenora, Ontario and a year later began post-secondary studies at the University of Manitoba. It was at the U of M that he developed his love for Winnipeg and Manitoba and his appreciation for history, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in History in 1996.

He transferred to the Regular Force in the summer of 1999 and after completing training, he began what has developed into a long and rewarding career in the Canadian Army. Since he joined the Regular Force, he has served in the Canadian Army on bases across Canada and has deployed abroad on three expeditionary operations: firstly he deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 on Operation APOLLO where he conducted combat operations as an artillery Forward Observation Officer; secondly, at NATO Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy in 2014 as part of Operation REASSURANCE where he helped to craft plans for the defence of south-east Europe in the event of a Russian invasion, and finally in the Sinai Region of Egypt in 2018 as part of Operation CALUMET where he worked as both the Deputy Commander of the Canadian Task Force, and the chief of combined and joint training for the Multinational Force and Observers, a peacekeeping organization charged with monitoring adherence to the elements of the 1979 Treaty of Peace between Egypt and Israel.

During his deployment to Egypt in 2018, his mother, Roberta, passed away suddenly. After coming home for the funeral and to spend time with his family, he committed to undertaking the role of family historian that his mother had held for decades. As he began to study his ancestry, he noted that several of his relatives from Manitoba were listed as Cree or Scotch halfbreed in various census records. Further investigation revealed a long history of Metis heritage on his mother’s side of the family that he had never been made aware of. Following the process of Metis citizenship established by the Manitoba Metis Federation, he applied for citizenship, which was shortly thereafter granted to him. He has since dedicated himself to learning more about this key part of his heritage which had been denied him too long and embracing this part of his ancestry.

Colonel Grebstad still serves as an officer in the Canadian Army. In addition to a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Manitoba, he obtained a Master of Arts in History from the University of New Brunswick in 2012, and a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2013. His is a graduate of both the Canadian Army Command and Staff College, as well as the Joint Command and Staff Programme at the Canadian Forces College. An avid amateur author, Colonel Grebstad has written two books: A Confluence of Destinies: the saga of the Winnipeg Falcons 1920 Gold Medal Olympic Victory in Ice Hockey which he self-published on Amazon, and Iron Indignation: The Evolution of Canadian Artillery Tactics and the Victory at Vimy Ridge which is published by Double Dagger Books. Additionally, he has contributed articles to peer reviewed publications such as to Prairie History (formerly Manitoba History), the Journal of Army Historical Studies, the Canadian Military Journal and the Canadian Military History Journal. He and his wife, Colleen, who is a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Canadian Medical Service, reside in Ottawa.

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