User:ReaganMacDonald/sandbox

Article Evaluation
Article: Canadian Indian Residential School System.

The article I have chosen for my article evaluation is the Canadian Indian Residential School System. This article was flagged as a featured article and was on Wikipedia's main page as a featured article on December 26, 2017. This article has lots of information and the introduction allows for the reader to get a good sense of what the article is about with some detailed knowledge on the topic. The introduction gives out specific dates and statistics that I believe could have been placed later in the article under specific headings. The table of contents is well organized and even uses sub-chapters within a chapter which I find useful.

The article seems to have a bias towards the government and the churches. Much of the article focuses on what the government is doing to make up for the past, and the compensation they are trying to make to the Indigenous Peoples. It talks about what the schools were about and how they affected the Indigenous children and the future generations but it does not give examples or quotes from Indigenous People affected. This bias view does not allow for the voice of the ones being spoken about.

One section that goes into great detail is the section on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and also gives the link to the main Wikipedia article page. With many other links to main pages as well as links to definition pages.

The webpage it self provides relevant detail on the subject and with its subheadings within the chapters it allowed for the writers to go into even more specific detail. With over 140 references there is quite a few different sources. After looking at a variety of the sources I have found that they are not all reliable. With many of the resources being news papers, blog posts, websites, and articles. Most of the quotes used in this article are found from newspapers and not academic sources such as CBC articles. This does not mean that the quotes were never said but that they are not academically appropriate. The references seem to be up to date and have current information but could use some sources from the time that the residential schools were actively open.

It was interesting to look at the talk page, there was not many comments other than adding external links, but the one that stood out was the one regarding the political correctness of the word 'Indian' and when it appropriate to use this term in a historical way.

Overall this article has quite a lot of information regarding the Residential Schools and has quality within the writing, with a few minor changes this article could become substantially better and with a less bias view.

Drafting Article: Outline
Gabriel Dumont was a Canadian political figure, the leader of the Metis people. Dumont was well known for his movements within the North-West Rebellion as well as for his role in the signing of treaties with the Blackfoot tribe, the main enemy of the Metis.

Dumont was born to Isidore Dumont and Louise Laframboise in 1837 in Red River. He eventually moved to Regina, Saskatchewan where he spent the majority of his political life. Growing up, Dumont had little in the way of education - he was Illiterate but could speak six languages. In the early stages of his life, Dumont relied on buffalo hunting in order to gain a source of food. His family (he was married to Madeleine Wilkie) made a living through hunting buffalo and eventually trading with the Hudson's Bay Company. After his time as the leader of the Metis, Dumont moved to the United States where he spent much of the latter portion of his life. Eventually in 1889 he dictated his memoir in Quebec, an event which precursored his death in 1906 in Batoche.

Dumont eventually became a force in the Metis community through his various political endeavours. Among his chiefest political campaigns was Dumont's ending of a treaty between the Metis and the Dakota, an event which occured in 1862. Just one year later in 1863, Dumont was elected hunt chief of the Saskatchewan Metis. Dumont was known as the adjutant general of the Metis people - he played a large role in the well-being of the Metis community and their subsequent resistance against the government. Dumont was instrumental in creating a ferry system and a small store on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. In terms of Dumont's involvement in the North West Rebellion, he was a key political figure in the Duck Lake conflict. In addition, Dumont was involved in the Fish Creek and the Batoche events as well. He also at one point was involved with Louis Riel.

Dumont's legacy is marked by his grave in Batoche, as well as through his involvement with the Metis people. Gabriel Bridge, a bridge that spans the Saskatchewan River, is named after Dumont. Research institutions and schools also bear his name. In addition, many books and poems have been written about Dumont's life, his works, and his legacy as a political figure.

Early Life / Family

-birth 1837

-parents / grandparents: Isidore Dumont and Louise Laframboise / Jean-Baptiste Dumont & Josette Dumont

-lack of education illiterate but could speak six languages

-Born in Red River eventually moved to Regina

-buffalo hunting : became master, family made a living hunting and trading with HBC

-wife:  Madeleine Wilkie,

Rise in Politics

-hunt chief of the Saskatchewan Métis in 1863

-ended a treaty between the Métis and the Dakota in 1862

-signed treaty with the Blackfoot (enemies of Metis)

-1873, Dumont formed a new government for the Métis settlement

-devised legal code

-created ferry and small store on South Saskatchewan river

-adjutant general of the Métis people: huge role in Metis community and resistance against the government

North West Rebellion

-Duck Lake, March 1885 (Self-defence)

-Riel peaceful resolution

-Fish Creek, April 1885

-Batoche, May 1885

Later Life

-move to US

-Wild West Show

-1889 dictates memoirs in Quebec

-died May 1906, Batoche

Legacy

-grave marked in Batoche

-Gabriel Bridge the is across Saskatchewan River

-many Metis institutions named after him : schools, research institutes,

-many books / poems written about him

Peer Review
Reagan, you've done a wonderful job with your leading paragraphs and your outline. Your article looks extremely well thought out and organized while using appropriate language for your subject matter. Although I do not see your sources it appears that you have done a lot of research and are quite knowledgeable concerning your topic. I look forward to reading your completed work.

Hi Reagan, I think that your lead section is a really good improvement from the current lead section of this article, and I think that how you have broken down the article will be very informative about this topic. I think overall the information is presented with a neutral perspective which is good. I would consider changing the part that says "his family (he was married to Madeleine Wilkie)" by expanding on this a little more and take out the brackets. Also you mention "Dumont eventually became a force in the Metis community," what do you mean by a force, maybe explain this or choose a different word? As well, for both the information already in the article and what you have added to the lead section, there are not any citations and sources for this, I would just make sure that for what you have written so far you have the sources to back it up. But I think that your outline shows your knowledge about the topic and when it's all done it will be a really good article. -Rachel Orbell

Reagan, your improvements to the article are very well thought out. The organization you are bringing will be a great addition. You demonstrate a great deal of knowledge on the topic. Maybe give more example of what books are about him and what institutions are named after him, just to give the article more specificity. Overall, this article will be great when its finished, the outline looks good already.