Métis (Plain-Language Summary) | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Article

Métis (Plain-Language Summary)

The Métis are a people who live in Canada. They are one of the three Indigenous peoples in Canada. They have Indigenous and European ancestors. However, mixed ancestry does not alone define who is Métis. The Métis have their own language (Michif), culture and claims to land. Métis are a distinct Indigenous group. The term Métis generally refers to the Métis Nation. The Métis Nation have their origins in the Red River Valley and the prairies. However, Métis communities are found across Canada.

This article is a plain-language summary of Métis. If you are interested in reading about this topic in more depth, please see the full-length entry, Métis.

Definition

In the 19th century, the word “Métis” usually referred to people who had Indigenous and French ancestors only. The term “half-breed” was used to describe people who had Indigenous and British ancestors. This term is not used now.

While the Métis come from mixed European-Indigenous unions, they are not solely defined by that mixed ancestry. Métis refers to a distinct Indigenous group in Canada who have their own collective history, culture, and definition of who they are. (See also Métis Are a People, Not a Historical Process.)

Origins

Mixed Indigenous-European communities started in the Great Lakes area in the 18th century. French fur traders married Indigenous women. (See also Fur Trade in Canada.) In Rupert’s Land, British fur traders married Indigenous women, too. In the 19th century, many Métis lived in what is now the Winnipeg area. It was known then as the Red River Settlement.

Red River Resistance and North-West Resistance

In 1869, the federal government bought Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory. This land had been owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). The federal government did not talk to the Métis before taking over. This angered the Métis and they resisted. This is known as the Red River Resistance. Their leader was Louis Riel. The federal government decided to negotiate. In 1870, it created the Province of Manitoba.

Later, in 1884–85, the Métis fought in an uprising against the federal government known as the North-West Resistance (in what is now Saskatchewan). Louis Riel was the Métis leader again. The resistance was caused by rising fear and insecurity among the Métis and First Nations people, as well as the white settlers, of the rapidly changing West. The resistance ended in tragedy for the Métis. The government ended the resistance and Louis Riel was executed.

Métis in the 20th and 21st Centuries

The Métis continued to fight for their rights. In 1982, the Métis won an important victory. They were now recognized as one of the three Indigenous peoples in Canada. This gave them more protections than they had in the past. In 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada stated that the federal government is responsible for matters relating to the Métis. This can help the Métis by providing more access to services. In 2019, Métis groups signed the “Métis-Ottawa Accords.” These accords are a step towards the Métis gaining more autonomy.

Ceinture Fléchée
collection
Métis