Who Are the Métis?
The Métis are one of Canada's three recognized Indigenous peoples, alongside First Nations and Inuit. They descend from unions between European fur traders (primarily French and Scottish) and First Nations women (primarily Cree, Ojibwe, and Saulteaux) beginning in the 17th century. Over generations, a distinct Métis Nation emerged with its own language (Michif), culture, governance, and identity—neither European nor First Nations but something new. Today approximately 600,000 Canadians identify as Métis, concentrated in the Prairie provinces but present across Canada. The Métis were central to Canadian history: the Red River Resistance (1869-70) and North-West Rebellion (1885) under Louis Riel shaped Confederation and western Canadian development.
Origins and Culture
The Métis emerged from the fur trade world of the 18th and 19th centuries. French Canadian voyageurs and Scottish Hudson's Bay Company traders married First Nations women, creating families that combined European and Indigenous traditions. These families formed communities around trading posts, developing a distinctive culture. The Métis became expert bison hunters, provisioning the fur trade with pemmican; they were renowned as voyageurs and guides. The Red River Settlement (present-day Winnipeg) became the Métis heartland. Métis culture includes the fiddle music and jigging that blended European and Indigenous dance traditions, distinctive beadwork ("flower beadwork people"), and the iconic sash (ceinture fléchée). The Michif language uniquely combines Cree verbs with French nouns. The infinity symbol on the Métis flag represents the joining of two peoples.
Riel and Resistance
Louis Riel led two Métis resistances against Canadian expansion. The Red River Resistance (1869-70) occurred when Canada purchased Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company without consulting inhabitants. Riel's provisional government negotiated Manitoba's entry into Confederation, protecting Métis land and language rights—though these protections were soon undermined. The execution of Thomas Scott during this period made Riel a fugitive. In 1885, Riel returned to lead the North-West Rebellion when Métis in Saskatchewan faced land dispossession. The rebellion was suppressed; Riel was hanged for treason, becoming a martyr. This execution divided Canada along linguistic and religious lines and remains controversial—Riel is now officially recognized as a "Father of Confederation" though his legal status has never been posthumously revised.
Contemporary Métis
Modern Métis gained constitutional recognition in 1982 when Section 35 of the Constitution Act affirmed Aboriginal rights of "Indians, Inuit, and Métis." The 2003 Powley Supreme Court decision recognized Métis hunting rights, establishing a test for Métis identity and rights. The Métis National Council and provincial organizations (particularly the Métis Nation of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) represent Métis interests. However, "Métis" identity is contested: some organizations accept self-identification, while others require documented genealogical connection to the historic Métis Nation. Michif language is severely endangered, with only hundreds of elderly speakers remaining. Métis communities pursue self-government, land claims, and cultural revitalization. The Métis represent a unique indigenous identity—neither assimilated nor unchanged, but a new people forged from colonial encounter who assert their distinct nationhood.
References
- Peterson, J. & Brown, J. S. H. (eds.) (1985). The New Peoples: Being and Becoming Métis in North America
- Barkwell, L. J. et al. (2001). Metis Legacy: A Métis Historiography and Annotated Bibliography
- Ens, G. J. & Sawchuk, J. (2016). From New Peoples to New Nations: Aspects of Métis History and Identity