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This portion of our guide to online resources for American Indians and First Nations people will focus on the Métis.

The Métis are an Indigenous people who trace their origins to the mixed unions of European (primarily French, Scottish, and English) fur traders and First Nations or American Indian women, mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Not everyone who descended from such a mixed union is Métis, however, and most aren't. The Métis developed a distinct culture, language, and identity that was influenced by both their Indigenous and European roots.

The historical homelands of the Métis include the Prairie Provinces in Canada and parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, northwestern Ontario, and the northern United States.

In Canada, the Métis are one of three major groups of Indigenous people that were legally recognized in the Constitution Act of 1982, the others being the Inuit and the First Nations.

While the United States does not formally recognize the Métis as a distinct group, people who self-identify as Métis are found primarily in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana includes several members who identify as Métis, but the federal government recognizes them as an Ojibwa Native American tribe.

The Métis are generally identified with Canada, where they played a significant role in the country's history and politics. In the late 1800s, the Métis established a provisional government under the leadership of Louis Riel.

The Métis faced marginalization and discrimination from the Canadian government and settlers until they were recognized as one of the three Aboriginal peoples in Canada in 1982. Under the Constitution Act, they were granted various rights and benefits, such as the right to hunt and fish, the right to make land claims, and the right to self-government.

The issue is not without controversy, however. The term Métis carries different meanings and implications for different groups and individuals. Some Métis identify as part of the Métis Nation, a political entity that represents the interests of the Red River Métis, with a homeland that spans the three Prairie provinces and parts of Ontario, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. The Métis Nation has a common culture, an ancestral language (Michif), history, and political tradition, and is represented by the Métis National Council.

Other Métis, particularly in Quebec and the Maritimes, lack ancestral ties to the Red River Métis but claim Métis identity based on their mixed Indigenous and European ancestry and connection to local Indigenous communities. They are often referred to as "the other Métis," and are not recognized by the Métis Nation or the Canadian government.

Alberta has the largest number of Métis, followed by Manitoba, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec, although Alberta is the only province that has recognized Métis settlements, with eight of them covering 1.25 million acres of land. Other Métis live in Métis communities, which are not necessarily land-based, but defined by the presence of Métis families, organizations, institutions, and cultural activities.

The Métis share similarities and differences with the First Nations and the American Indians. All are descendants of the original inhabitants of North America. They all have distinct cultures, languages, traditions, and worldviews that reflect their relationship with the land and one another. They have all experienced colonization, oppression, and discrimination from European settlements and governments, and have had to fight for their rights, sovereignty, and self-determination. However, the Métis are distinct people who originated from the mixed unions of European and Indigenous ancestors, while the First Nations and American Indians are Indigenous people who have not necessarily mixed with other groups. Although many of them have, they have not formed unique communities based on these mixed unions.

The Métis have a unique culture, language, and identity that is influenced by both their Indigenous and European roots, while the First Nations and American Indians have cultures, languages, and identities that are derived from their Indigenous roots.

Languages associated with the Métis include Michif, Bungi, and Métis French. Michif emerged as a mixed language in the early 19th century, gradually assuming a consistent character. Also known as the Red River Dialect, Bungi is a dialect of English with influences from Scottish English, various Scottish dialects, French, Cree, and Ojibwe. Métis French is a variety of Canadian French with some added characters from older French spellings, and words inherited from Indigenous languages, such as Ojibwe, Beaver, and Cree. Métis French is spoken mainly in Manitoba and North Dakota.

 

 

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