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Métis Peoples
5-31-2017
Canada recognizes three distinct Aboriginal groups: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Of the three, Métis people are probably the most overlooked and least understood. Generally speaking, Métis, pronounced “may-TISS”, peoples are the descendants of the original European settlers who intermarried with First Nations people. They play an important role in the development of Canada.
Beginning in the mid-1600s, fishermen and fur traders who arrived in what is now Canada often married Aboriginal women. They started families and established a hybrid culture that borrowed from the French, Celtic, and English lifestyle of the fathers and the Indigenous knowledge and tribal relationships of the mothers. A new group consciousness and individual identity emerged – the Métis people – with their own unique traditions, ceremonies, history, stories, way of life, language (Michif), and sense of nationhood. Even today, Métis refer to their origins as “children of the fur trade” with pride. Although there is no official definition of who is Métis, the Métis National Council states “Métis means a person who self-identifies as Métis, is distinct from other Aboriginal Peoples, is of historic Métis Nation ancestry and who is accepted by the Métis Nation” – ancestry, distinctiveness, identity, and belonging are factors.
In colonialism all over the world, intermarriage between the male newcomers and the female inhabitants is common. What makes the Métis people different is that from the beginning the two parents were seen as equals. The paternal line of the European males did not dominate over the maternal line of the females. Indeed, the contributions of the women were highly honoured and respected as being essential to the success of their immigrant husbands. Aboriginal women provided food, companionship, information, interpretation, and trading networks. Their understanding of both societies provided an essential bridge between the two cultures. The marriages gave the men stability and purpose by providing a sense of belonging and kinship to their wives’ family and tribe. Marriage also provided a direct financial gain as the men now had direct and personal ties with the people they traded furs with, allowing them to get the best quality ones at a lesser price. Without their skilled and talented wives, the men recognized their lives would be full of hardship and loneliness. Being married to an Aboriginal woman gave distinct advantages that were fully recognized, appreciated, and valued.
The Métis flag represents this equality and unity of the two cultures. The simple, but striking flag, has a large white infinity symbol on a background of either red, representing Métis who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company, or blue, representing the North-West Company, competing fur trading organizations. The infinity sign indicates the equal joining of the First Nations and European cultures into a unique culture that will continue on forever.
The perseverance of the Métis people is to be admired. Protecting their rights and gaining recognition has been a contentious struggle. It wasn’t until 1982 that the federal government acknowledged that Métis are Aboriginal peoples. It took until 2016 for Métis and non-status Indians to be considered Indians under Canada’s 1867 Constitution, a ruling that opens the possibility to receive treaty benefits. The approximate 450,000 Canadians who identify as Métis understand that the recent victories have long roots going back to leaders such as Louis Riel, Harry Daniels, and Gabriel Dumont. Students are taught about the 1871 Red River Rebellion and the 1885 North-West Rebellion as isolated historical incidents that often portray Métis peoples in a negative manner. But for Métis peoples, these early uprisings symbolize the beginning of the battle for self-determination and nationhood that has been ongoing for 150 years.
The Métis peoples fight for recognition as a distinct group has propelled them to reach out to other Aboriginal peoples to help solve the social and political problems faced by Canada’s Indigenous peoples. It has also increased their sensitivity to anyone suffering from social or politic injustice. Instead of hardening their hearts, they draw on their own collective experience as a source of inspiration to help others.
The story of the Métis peoples can serve as hope for all immigrant groups struggling to maintain their culture and traditions in a foreign land. The key isn’t too hold onto the old at all cost, instead it is to create something new and unique that blends the best of both cultures and appreciates the contributions of all.
Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhanani@yahoo.ca
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