"It is difficult to understand how politicians astute enough to create the Canadian confederation could bungle western expansion so completely," writes historian John Thompson. One explanation perhaps lies in the images of westerners that circulated so widely throughout eastern Canada. Kane, Hime, Napier, and others had presented romantic scenes of people in colourful clothing, with quaint hand-made carts, chasing wild beasts across the Prairies. They did not show the Métis wearing business suits and administering to the affairs of their community. In other words, the Métis were not perceived by eastern Canadians as reliable and credible statesmen. It was then easy for easterners to assume that the people of Red River were incapable of understanding the complexities of self-government. Interestingly, after Riel and others established their provisional government for Red River in 1869, one of the first tasks that the councillors set for themselves was to have their picture taken. Ironically, the 12 men gathered together in the photograph  -  now in the Provincial Archives of Manitoba  -  are all wearing business suits. The photograph was never distributed in eastern Canada.