Joseph-Noël Ritchot

Father Joseph-Noël Ritchot (25 December 1825 – 16 March 1905), commonly known as Father Noël-Joseph Ritchot, was a Roman Catholic priest noted for his role in negotiating with the Government of Canada on behalf of the Métis during the Red River Resistance of 1869–1870.

He studied and later taught at the College de L'Assomption before being ordained as a Catholic priest on 22 December 1855.

In 1862 he volunteered to serve in Rupert's Land under Bishop Alexandre-Antonin Taché; he was assigned to a parish at St Norbert.

This parish was central to the Red River Rebellion, and Ritchot became involved as an advisor to the Métis leaders; his participation "gave legitimacy to the movement".

After briefly being arrested on charges of being complicit in the death of Thomas Scott, Ritchot, who led the negotiations, "secured provincial status for the colony, along with the establishment of bilingual and bicultural institutions [...and] 1,400,000 acres of land set aside for the Métis", which led to enactment of the Manitoba Act.