Commissioned by the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) and sculpted by Miguel Joyal, the statue is located on the building's south grounds and faces the Assiniboine River.

[1] Standing at 3.5 metres (11 ft) tall, the statue depicts Riel dressed in a 19th-century shirt, overcoat, trousers, and moccasins.

[2] Riel is shown standing with clenched fists, with his left hand holding a parchment to represent the Manitoba Act.

The first step was to mount the steel armature by welding together the dominant elements of the composition (legs, arms, head).

The armature was fastened to a portable base with wheels and surrounding it a wooden structure (roof and ramps) was installed allowing the sculptor to easily access the various sections.

In a large wooden crate the finished sculpture was transported from Toronto to Winnipeg and fastened to its base with the help of epoxy cement and 1¼ inch stainless steel pins.

The artist added the moccasins, the sash, as well as the Manitoba Act in order to shed light on Riel’s ethnic background and his role in the community.