Who are the Métis?
The Métis are a distinct nation of Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples born of a mixture of European and native bloodlines. The Métis are primarily located on the Prairies but also live in Ontario, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Census data estimate that approximately 200,000 individuals continue to self-identify with the historic Métis Nation today.
Originally, “Métis” was used to describe the children of native women and French fur traders. As the fur trade expanded, English, Scandinavian and Irish bloodlines also became part of the Métis nation.
During the early history of Métis settlements, the Métis acted as intermediaries between European and Indian cultures. Working as interpreters, guides and mediators for forts and trading companies, they came to establish distinct settlements across the northern Prairie provinces. Louis Riel, seen by many as the founder of Manitoba, was a Métis born in the Red River Settlement, located near present-day Winnipeg.
Since Manitoba became part of Confederation in 1870, negotiated by a Métis leader, the Métis have continued to endure more than 100 years of struggle for recognition as a legally distinct nation. It wasn’t until the Constitution Act of 1982 that they were recognized, along with Indian and Inuit, as one of the three Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.
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