A special ceremony was held Tuesday to honour Louis Riel on the anniversary of his death in 1885.

People gathered at his gravesite in St. Boniface Tuesday morning and events were slated to run through the evening Tuesday to honour Riel. 

Riel is known as the founder of Manitoba and also as a hero to the Métis people.

The Manitoba Métis Federation helped organize the ceremony at Riel's gravesite on Tuesday.

Riel was convicted and hanged for treason in 1885.

Federal New Democrats are calling on the federal government to exonerate Riel.

"Louis Riel was wrongfully tried convicted and executed for high treason," said NDP MP Pat Martin, in a press release.

"We don't want to re-write history; we want to correct the history books," said Martin.

Conservative MP Shelly Glover also spoke in parliament of Riel's importance for Manitoba.

- with a report from CTV's Jillian Taylor