It is illogical to attempt to 'reap' what you do not 'sow'. However, from 1870 to 1885, many Canadians thought this was a legitimate state of mind in handling affairs with Northwest groups. Their selfishness, for them, was sanctified. Sanctified because the push for the formation of Canada overshadowed and prevailed over every phase of a long and hostile struggle. In his article “The Causes of the Struggle of 1885,” Howard makes clear that giving the label “Riel's Rebellion” to these struggles is a misleading and inappropriate title. He states that Riel was not alone in the unraveling of the events that occurred in 1885. From this, Howard identifies the "hostilities" of 1885 as a class-manifested turning point in the Canadian movement politically and socially: toward capitalism, modern agriculture, and industrialism. By the 1870s, other than Manitoba, the rest of the Northwest was completely devoid of any form of government. This meant that nominal control was in the hands of the lieutenant governor of Manitoba until 1873: after which he was given a nominated council to help out. One of the most important actions taken by the lieutenant governor and his council in 1873 was the creation of the NWMP (Northwest Mounted Police). It was only after the Northwest Territories Act of 1875 that the Northwest Territories received its own exclusive lieutenant. However, without its own judicial and police forces, primary power lay in the hands of Ottawa: which had the ability to ban any ordinances enacted locally. The Metis people remained relatively independent and politically involved, organizing their own local government in 1875, despite the pseudo-federal administration imposed on the Northwest. However, it was all grou... middle of paper... attracts others and encourages them to engage in similar tactics. Overall Howard deserves to be commended for his political approach to the struggles of 1885. His view of the present class structure and its importance in the process of developing the Canadian political framework offers much information to any reader willing to think about it more than a moment . This article fits the class very well as it places emphasis on the united quality between the North West groups, as well as the need to shed light on the Metis as a whole, not exclusively on Riel. Personally I really liked this article. I didn't necessarily agree with the lens with which Howard was trying to capture everything, but the element of political theory that Howard brought to the table, to me, is always worthy of analysis: especially if you connect to a different theory which you can compare to.