{"id":79,"date":"2017-12-31T18:21:53","date_gmt":"2018-01-01T01:21:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/?p=79"},"modified":"2018-01-01T12:07:54","modified_gmt":"2018-01-01T19:07:54","slug":"who-is-metis-future-historians-will-have-to-be-careful-who-they-ask-by-allison-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/?p=79","title":{"rendered":"Who is M\u00e9tis? Future historians will have to be careful who they ask<\/em> by Allison Jones <\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note to readers: I am writing about this topic as a non-M\u00e9tis person. I am a settler living in unceded x\u02b7m\u0259\u03b8k\u02b7\u0259y\u0313\u0259m (Musqueam), Skwxw\u00fa7mesh (Squamish), and s\u0259l\u0313ilw\u0259ta\u0241\u026c (Tsleil-Waututh) territory. I have tried to center the work of M\u00e9tis scholars in my research and cite many of their works here.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

For the past twenty years, M\u00e9tis people have disputed Statistics Canada\u2019s census counts of their population. This year was no exception, with <\/span>debate breaking out<\/span><\/a> as soon as the latest data was released. But why is this topic so contentious, and how does it relate to records management?<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistics Canada\u2019s data <\/span>is used throughout the government<\/span><\/a> to inform policy decisions. Archives Canada describes census returns as <\/span>\u201can invaluable source of information\u201d<\/span><\/a>. If Statistics Canada\u2019s data is compromised, the effects will be widespread.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The definition of M\u00e9tis has material effects, from the <\/span>Canadian literature community<\/span><\/a> to <\/span>land claims processes<\/span>. Different groups advocate for competing definitions of M\u00e9tis, and records management theory can help us understand why. <\/span><\/p>\n

By taking a brief look at the missions of Statistics Canada, the M\u00e9tis Nation, and the M\u00e9tis Federation, we will see that each organization both relies on and generates different sets of records based on their organizational goals. This illustrates a fundamental idea of archival theory that forms the basis of tools such as <\/span>Work Process Analysis<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

To see how, let\u2019s begin by asking: what <\/span>does<\/span><\/i> M\u00e9tis mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

Mixed Messages: Defining M\u00e9tis<\/span><\/h1>\n

M\u00e9tis is defined and documented in numerous ways. Here I will focus on three approaches from <\/span>Statistics Canada<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>M\u00e9tis Nation<\/span><\/a>, and the <\/span>M\u00e9tis Federation of Canada<\/span><\/a>. I\u2019ve chosen these three organizations because they are all national and receive regular media attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistics Canada generates its M\u00e9tis population data through the national census every five years. This is done through <\/span>Question 18<\/span><\/a>, which reads, \u201cIs this person an Aboriginal person, that is, First Nations (North American Indian), M\u00e9tis or Inuk (Inuit)?\u201d M\u00e9tis identity is determined entirely based on whether someone responds \u201cYes, M\u00e9tis\u201d to this question. <\/span><\/p>\n

The M\u00e9tis Nation <\/span>understands the M\u00e9tis people as a collective group with a unique shared history<\/span><\/a>. Its <\/span>official definition of M\u00e9tis<\/span><\/a> reads as follows: \u201c\u2018M\u00e9tis\u2019 means a person who self-identifies as M\u00e9tis, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, is of historic M\u00e9tis Nation Ancestry and who is accepted by the M\u00e9tis Nation\u201d. To register as a member of the M\u00e9tis Nation, people must complete an application process based on these criteria.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Figure 1: Councillors of the Provisional Government of the M\u00e9tis Nation, 1870, from <\/span><\/i>Library and Archives Canada<\/span><\/i><\/a> (public domain image).<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This process requires applicants to submit extensive genealogical documentation, generally back to the 1800s. This is used to build a network of relationships between family and community members. Citizens of the M\u00e9tis Nation <\/span>can trace their ancestry to specific M\u00e9tis communities living in the historic M\u00e9tis Nation Homeland<\/span><\/a> (including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories).<\/span><\/p>\n

The M\u00e9tis Federation of Canada, on the other hand, emphasizes its commitment to the <\/span>\u201cunity of ALL Metis\u201d<\/span><\/a> across Canada \u2013 including people from outside the M\u00e9tis Nation Homeland. It also has a <\/span>membership application process<\/span><\/a>, with broader criteria than the M\u00e9tis Nation. Crucially, the M\u00e9tis Federation does not require members to have an ancestor from the historic M\u00e9tis Nation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Applicants for M\u00e9tis Federation membership must document that they have Aboriginal ancestry. However, <\/span>this ancestor does not have to be M\u00e9tis<\/span><\/a> and may be First Nations or Inuit. This is <\/span>a racial understanding of M\u00e9tis identity<\/span><\/a>, focused on problematic notions of \u2018mixed\u2019-ness, a point to which I will return. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why It Matters<\/span><\/h1>\n

While the differences between these definitions may seem subtle, their impacts are dramatic.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>federal government has specific responsibilities to M\u00e9tis people<\/span><\/a> for services such as education, healthcare, and social services. M\u00e9tis people also have relationships with and responsibilities to one another <\/span>and to other Indigenous communities<\/span><\/a>. Fulfilling these relationships relies on knowing who is involved in them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Numerous authors have described how defining M\u00e9tis in a racialized way, as the M\u00e9tis Federation does, has had harmful repercussions. This is thoroughly addressed in Chris Andersen\u2019s celebrated book <\/span>\u201cM\u00e9tis\u201d: Race, Recognition, and the Struggle for Indigenous Peoplehood<\/span><\/a>. Andersen focuses on how misunderstanding M\u00e9tis as a racial category is linked to systemic racism and anti-Indigeneity.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Figure 2: Canadian writer Joseph Boyden in September 2010 by <\/span><\/i>Camille G\u00e9vauda (CC BY-SA 3.0)<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Boyden has periodically identified as M\u00e9tis, however <\/span><\/i>his claims to Indigeneity have come under close scrutiny and questioning over the past year<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Furthermore, there is a troubling trend of settlers self-identifying as M\u00e9tis. <\/span>Scholars suggest<\/span><\/a> that this is the reason for the dramatic population increase that Statistics Canada has documented.<\/span><\/p>\n

Darryl Leroux<\/span><\/a>, Associate Professor at St. Mary\u2019s University, has studied <\/span>how this manifests in Qu\u00e9bec<\/span><\/a>. A narrative of Qu\u00e9bec-as-M\u00e9tis is being used to support Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois nationalist narratives of oppression by British colonizers. This focus on the Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois as an oppressed people derails conversations about racism and colonialism in Qu\u00e9bec.<\/span><\/p>\n

This <\/span>\u201csettler self-indigenization\u201d<\/span><\/a> undermines both the meaning of Indigeneity as well as efforts to disrupt ongoing colonialism. <\/span>Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang<\/span><\/a> describe these behaviours as an \u201cattempt to relieve the settler of feelings of guilt or responsibility without giving up land or power or privilege, without having to change much at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, the repercussions of the definitions used by Statistics Canada and the M\u00e9tis Federation are severe. So why do they persist?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Impact of Organizational Mission on Records<\/span><\/h1>\n

The unique missions of Statistics Canada, the M\u00e9tis Nation, and the M\u00e9tis Federation affect how they define and document M\u00e9tis identity. Each organization both relies on and generates different sets of records based on their organizational goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistics Canada aims to <\/span>\u201cserv[e] Canada with high-quality statistical information that matters\u201d<\/span><\/a>. Amongst all the information they must collect, a high-level count of the M\u00e9tis population is sufficient for their purposes. A single census question suffices to obtain this data \u2013 even if its reliance on self-identification sows confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The M\u00e9tis Nation is dedicated to <\/span>\u201csecur[ing] a healthy space for the M\u00e9tis Nation\u2019s on-going existence within the Canadian federation\u201d<\/span><\/a>. The definition of a historical and contemporary M\u00e9tis Nation is critical to their work. Their emphasis on historical documents highlighting relationships reflects this focus, even if it is onerous on applicants.<\/span><\/p>\n

The M\u00e9tis Federation of Canada <\/span>\u201cfight[s] for recognition of all M\u00e9tis people\u201d<\/span><\/a>. In this work, an inclusive (some may say expansive) definition of M\u00e9tis is critical. As a result, they emphasize simplicity and accessibility in their application process, even if it perpetuates racialization.<\/span><\/p>\n

The connections between these organizations\u2019 missions, their definitions of M\u00e9tis, and the records they produce or rely upon is clear. Because these definitions are linked to the three organization\u2019s missions, they are difficult to change. Questioning the ways in which they define and document what it means to be M\u00e9tis would also challenge their core missions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Future Implications<\/span><\/h1>\n

The field of records management requires us to examine current records. These records, if preserved, will affect the way our present will be understood in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n

In relation to M\u00e9tis identity, Statistics Canada, the M\u00e9tis Nation, and the M\u00e9tis Federation are all creating different records. The records they choose to create are not random \u2013 they relate directly to these organizations different missions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Consider a seemingly simple statistic – a population count of M\u00e9tis people from 2016. This number will differ significantly depending on where a future historian obtains their data. While many academics turn to Statistics Canada for this type of information, it should be abundantly clear that this census data must be treated with care.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note to readers: I am writing about this topic as a non-M\u00e9tis person. I am a settler living in unceded x\u02b7m\u0259\u03b8k\u02b7\u0259y\u0313\u0259m (Musqueam), Skwxw\u00fa7mesh (Squamish), and s\u0259l\u0313ilw\u0259ta\u0241\u026c (Tsleil-Waututh) territory. I have tried to center the work of M\u00e9tis scholars in my research and cite many of their works here. For the past twenty years, M\u00e9tis people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54249,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3142719,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indigenous-peoples-and-current-records","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/54249"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=79"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions\/81"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=79"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=79"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/arst516\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=79"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}