land that they had been living on for years. They grew frustrated with the stalling and general lack of response from the government, so the Council of St. Laurent decided to ask Louis Riel to return from exile in Montana to lead the Métis again. Riel would establish the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan led by the Exovedate council established in Batoche on March 19, 1885, that started the North-West Resistance. The Government of Canada responded with a military force, culminating at the Battle of Batoche where the Métis government was defeated. Early political movements The North-West Resistance resulted in the displacement of many Métis, leading to the loss of community. Trying to make the best of new opportunities, the Métis looked to farming and other ways to earn a living, but the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930s left many Métis destitute. Métis community councils began to form around this time, organizing themselves along the model of labour unions and using the name "locals" for their representative structure. This led to growing political awareness and social activism among Métis, demanding recognition of Métis rights. Recognizing the need to establish a formal governance structure for their voice to be heard, Métis in Saskatchewan began to organize. The first Métis provincial political organization established after the province of Saskatchewan was established was in 1935 under Joe Ross, and was called Half-breeds of Saskatchewan. The organization was created to help with issues that Métis people were dealing with as a result of the Great Depression. The organization drafted their first constitution in 1937 and was renamed the Saskatchewan Métis Society. In 1943, the Saskatchewan Métis Association was formed to represent the Métis in the Northern part of Saskatchewan. This organization echoed, and often rivalled the efforts in the South by the Saskatchewan Métis Society. Despite strong growth in these organizations in the early years, internal divisions and turmoil as well as the start of the Second World War lead to the dissolution of these early Métis political organizations during the years of the War. The Métis political movement would be restarted in the 1960s. In 1964, the Métis Association of Saskatchewan was established to focus on issues for Northern Métis people, and in 1965, the Métis Society of Saskatchewan was established to focus on issues for Southern Métis people. Recognizing the benefits of working together, the Métis Association of Saskatchewan and