Métis people (Canada)
From Freepedia
The Métis (pronounced "MAY tee", IPA: ['mejti], in French [me'tis] or [mɛ'tɪs], in Métis [mɪ'cɪf]) are one of three recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Their homeland consists of the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, as well as the Northwest Territories. The Metis Homeland also consists of parts of the northern United States (ie. North Dakota, and Montana). The Métis Nation are of individuals descended from marriages of Cree, Ojibway and Saulteaux women to French Canadian and British settlers. Their history dates to the mid-seventeenth century. Traditionally, the Métis spoke a mixed language called Michif or Mechif. Mechif is a phonetic spelling of the Métis pronunciation of Métif, a variant of Métis. The Métis today predominately speak English with French as a strong second language. The encouragement and use of Michif is growing due to outreach within the provincial Metis councils after at least a generation of decline.
The word Métis (the singular, plural and adjectival forms are the same) is French, and related to the Spanish word mestizo. It carries the same connotation of "mixed blood"; traced back far enough it stems from the Latin word mixtus, the past participle of the verb "to mix".
The name, in Canada, is constitutionally applied to descendants of communities in what is now southern Manitoba along the Red River Valley and Winnipeg. The name has also been applied to the descendants of similar communities in what are now Quebec and Labrador, although these groups' histories are different from that of the western Métis.
The Métis National Council defines a person as Métis if they meet the following criteria:
- self-identifies as Métis
- of historic Métis Nation ancestry
- is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples
- is accepted by the Métis Nation.
Much like the Canadian Confederation, the Métis Nation is also divided into 5 administrative regions: Métis Nation of Ontario, Manitoba Métis Federation, Métis Nation - Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of Alberta, and the Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia. The Métis National Council represents the Nation's larger interests with the Government of Canada and internationally.
Estimates of the number of Métis vary from 300,000 to 700,000 or more. According to this Statistics Canada reportage, the number of those who self-identify as Metis in 2001 was 292,310 throughout Canada. The Province of Alberta has the largest population of Metis (66,055), closely followed by Manitoba (56,795) and Ontario (48,345) respectively.
The Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 recognizes the Métis as being Aboriginal peoples. This has enabled individual Métis to sue successfully for recognition of their traditional rights, such as rights to hunt and trap. In 2003, a court ruling[1] in Ontario found that an Ontario Métis community has the Aboriginal right to hunt for food, a decision seen as a first step toward granting full hunting rights to the community. This right was given to the entire Nation as a whole a short time later as respective provincial governments came into compliance with this ruling through negotiation with the Métis provincial governments. On May 31, 2005, the Government of Canada and the Metis National Council signed a framework agreement to pave the way for self-government for the Metis in the homeland and illustrating a deeper development of the relationship between the Métis and Canada outside of the judicial system.
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Métis Culture
Métis culture is an amalgamation of cultures of the Scottish, French and First Nations. The Métis are known for their love of fiddle playing, but traditional instruments also included the concertina, the harmonica, the hand drum. This affection for the fiddle has been accompanied by a form of dancing referred to as jigging. Traditionally, dancing included such moves as the Waltz Quadrille, the Square dance, Drops of Brandy, the Duck, La Double Gigue and the Red River Jig.
As the Métis culture matured, a new language called Michif emerged. This language was a result of the combining of French nouns and Cree verbs. Though a distinct language, it is spoken by few people. Some estimates put the number of Michif speakers at only 1,000. Some linguists, however, dismiss it as an authentic language on the basis that it does not meet the requirements of what defines a language.
Of the clothing worn by Métis in the 19th century, the sash is probably the most popular and likely the only item to be used today. The sash is roughly three metres in length and is made by weaving yarn together with one's fingers. traditionally, the sash is worn around the waist, tied in the middle, with the fringed ends hanging.
Prominent Métis
The most famous Métis was Louis Riel who led what are usually depicted as two rebellions, the Red River Rebellion in 1869 in the area now known as Manitoba, and the North-West Rebellion in 1885 in the area now known as Saskatchewan. Reasonable doubts may be raised about whether either of these events was a rebellion. For example, the actions considered rebellious in 1869 were undertaken by Riel as the leader of a government recognized by Canada as in legitimate control of territory that did not belong to Canada; Canada negotiated the Manitoba Act with this government. After these "rebellions”, land speculators and other non-Métis effectively deprived the Métis of land by exploiting a government program for its purchase, with the government perhaps turning a blind eye. The province of Alberta distributed land to Métis in 1938 to correct what it believed to be an inequity, but Saskatchewan and Manitoba have not followed Alberta's lead.
Another known Métis is Sharon Bruneau.
Two other famous Métis leaders were Cuthbert Grant and Gabriel Dumont.
On May 7, 2004, Métis Todd Ducharme was appointed as a judge of the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice.
See also
- Métis people (USA)
- Manitoba Act
- First Nations of Canada
- List of terms for multiraciality
- Métis National Council
External link
Western Métis
- Métis National Council
- Métis Nation of Ontario
- Manitoba Métis Federation
- Métis Nation-Saskatchewan
- Métis Nation of Alberta
- Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia
