Métis People and Their Identity

The Métis community is one of Canada’s three recognized Indigenous peoples (Canadian Geographic 2018). The earliest mixed Aboriginal-European people could be traced back to the first contact period. However, the emergence of the first community that is made up of distinctly Métis people is still being studied to this day. Scholars have argued that their ancestry is either traced back to Red River settlement or the fur trade in the Great Lakes in the late 18th century. In today’s definition, the Métis people include those of mixed ancestry from the 18th to early 19th centuries fur traders of European descent, primarily French settlers, and Indigenous women of Cree and other nations like Ojibwa and Saulteaux. Before the term “Métis” was used to refer to this mixed community in the early 19th century, they were referred to as “Saulteurs,” “bois brûlés,” or “chicots” (Gaudry 2023). The term “Métis” came from the French verb “métisser,” meaning to mix races. The language developed and spoken within the Métis community is called Michif, which combines verbs and phrases from Cree and French nouns. Today, Heritage Michif is considered an endangered language, as less than a few hundred people speak it, and those who can speak the language are mostly people in their 70s or older (Canadian Geographic 2018).

Resistance to the Canadian government

For a long time, the Métis people faced ongoing discrimination and especially land encroachments from the Canadian government. In 1869, the Canadian government acquired Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company, which the territory belonged to the descendants of original inhabitants including the Métis nation, and sold without consultation or consent from the Indigenous people. The event of sending surveyors onto André Nault’s (Métis leader, farmer and buffalo hunter) land further increased the tension between the Métis and the Canadian government, which ultimately led to the Red River uprising. The continuous disregard for Métis people’s land claims and marginalization angered the Red River Métis people, who eventually formed the National Committee of the Métis in October 1869, and later established their provisional government on December 8, 1869, with Louis Riel as the leader (Gaudry 2023). The Métis people, whether they participated in the 1885 North-West Resistance or not, would be socially, economically, and politically marginalized. As they lose their title to the land, they can’t pay taxes, which results in a cycle of poverty for generations to come (Canadian Geographic 2018).

Contribution to Francophone music

The Métis people also made significant contributions to Canada’s music, mostly in the form of dance and fiddle music. Traditional dances like the Red River Jig (1850s), the Rabbit Dance, and the Sash Dance are highly celebrated dances of their heritage, they are still being performed at powwows, functions, national competitions, and community gatherings (Gaudry 2023). As Europeans brought violins to Canada, the Métis people adopted the instrument and played their traditional tunes with it, these tunes are usually a mix of French-Canadian and Indigenous tunes. Many Métis fiddlers traveled across North America and participated in fiddle contests, as many Métis people held competitions to determine who was the best jiggers and fiddlers. Despite a lack of formal training, many Métis fiddlers could play at a virtuosic level and have developed excellent musicianship (Canadian Geographic 2018).

Suggested Sources:

• Gaudry, Adam. “Métis.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published January 07, 2009; Last Edited November 28, 2023. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/metis.
• Canadian Geographic. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. Canadian Geographic. Article published June 5, 2018. https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/article/frequently-asked-questions-metis/
• Miner, Dylan. “Rivers of Resistance: A History of the Métis Nation of Ontario.” Canadian Geographic. Canadian Geographic. Article published September 19, 2022; Last Edited December 11, 2024. https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/rivers-of-resistance-a-history-of-the-metis-nation-of-ontario/
• “André Nault.” 2025. TThe Canadian Encyclopedia. Article published January 22, 2008; Last Edited January 7, 2020. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/andre-nault.