The Red is characterized by its muddy bottom and lazy flow - but also by its suddenly changing moods. In spring, this usually slow, murky, and pastoral river can overflow its banks with disastrous consequences for the towns and cities that line its banks. Devastating floods occurred in 1950 and 1997, in what is called “the Flood of the Century”. The Red River drew some of Canada's earliest settlers, and served as the backdrop for some of the most exciting episodes in Canadian history. The Red River valley is considered the birthplace of the Metis nation.