This one is, well I guess you could say is a bit personal as it relates to my family, I have evaluated this “metis” topic considerably since my childhood. Above is a photo of my Grandma, my father and me with a blackeye lol My Kokkum had a Metis status card and so did my father. My granddad also had native blood but from further away, he was enlisted in the Algonquin regiment for the Canadian army. Which doesn’t mean you have to be native but it means many native women where enfranchised when marrying a Canadian, especially military. Meaning my kokkum lost the ability to get official status, she tried to regain it when the S3 laws change regarding sex discrimination in the Indian act before she passed. I tried to find her lineage but her mother has no birth date, and can’t seem to figure much out past that. So some native people where absorbed into the system and don’t have a community.
DISCLAIMER: I have never personally taken money as an indigenous person, never taken a grant, never taken jobs and I would not take a metis card even if I was given one. I’ve never questions any ones identity, I’ve only tried to connect with my dads side of my family, I’ve participating in native culture like powwows and lodges, I do have an affinity for living in harmony with nature which lines up with native teaching a bit more than western ones. I did sell fur a 3 powwows cuz I have alot of fur at my friends booth. I was nominated to be on the board of director at the Odawa friendship center
Currently there is actually a capital “M” Metis and miniscule “m” metis distinction in legal documents for Canada.
The term Metis started from the French, it was found in church records and census data, the french used it as slang. So historically its a manifestation of french influence and Colonization, only since 1890 Metis have been recognized as a nation by Canada. We know First Nations and Inuit have been much longer before that, like 10 thousand plus years. Just for that reason it should not be consider in the same category, and its not actually. The Canadian government does not issue its own Metis card, so all all Metis organizations are self identifying, they dictate their members.
The MNOC (Metis Nation of Canada) and MNO(Metis Nation of Ontario), which are basically a lobbying groups for billions of dollars, 6-8 billion a year, have list of ancestors from the 1600’s. With a surprising 700,000 members count since 1890, when only 1.2 million indigenous people exist in Canada since time immemorial, lol that word always gets me. I believe possibly the government created the idea of Metis since its easier to negotiate with first nation when metis are present at the table. Also isn’t it odd to have a metis nation of Canada, and then metis nations in certain provinces with completely different registries, and are often fighting each other for whos more legit and gets money or even land grabs. Yet for some magical reason metis can exist east of Ottawa, and only real mixed race people come from the red river.
When I go up north in Quebec reserves, they call mixed race people metis, its that simple and wouldn’t make sense if someone from the red river told them they aren’t metis. You can’t change language. Somehow metis people can exist west of Ottawa but not in Quebec? where the term actually originated from…
See Quebec is its own nation in a way, or at least how Canada see it, Quebec is self governing and tries to make sure money goes to reserves. About 50% of Quebecers have native blood, to the same amount many metis people have, like Jean Teillet a metis judge advocating for who is and isn’t metis at a federal level. What makes her any more native than other mix raced people? Her dad is Louis Riel, so what, my family also fought in battle against the creation of Canada. The french where forced into signing into confederation after a battle was lost in Quebec city, The Plains of Abraham, which involved many native people also. Why are these red river settlements more important, when many died in others resurgences, RIP to all.
As for louis riel, he may be the canadian Che Guevara to some, to others he just caused more conflict for native people, and to others he is some sort of Genghis Khan into nativity. Louis Riel was 1/8th native, so any relative of his is like 1/128th native therefore like 1% native, in current days that would be called a pretendian. Some say chief Poundmaker was killed because of Louis riel militant agenda, Poundmaker was working on a peace treaty with the British. The metis rebellion also killed people without trial, some documents state harsh stuff about Louis. There where a few small battle, I know it, I know the history, the red river is also somewhat of a violent image in itself.
This magical red river doesn’t automatically make u native, you actually dont have to prove any native blood to be in the metis nation of Ontario you just have to prove lineage to original metis settlement. There where metis settlements all across canada, heck any reservation bordering a municipality is a metis settlement if you ask me, that’s why so many people claim native lineage because there was mixing all over these lands.
The metis nation calls itself a distinct nation? If anything its a mix of European and native culture. Just because an insurrection happened or you honor Louis Riel, doesn’t make you a distinct nation. Examples in their language Michif, which only 2% of “metis” people speak which is not alot at. Mom is momma and dad is papa, so those come from the French, then grandmother is kukum and grandfather is moshum therefore Cree. The sash and jigging are from French people, its not a metis creation either. Neither are sweat lodges & dreamcatchers, those are from indigenous peoples. Saying Metis people are a distinct nation is a stretch, and it definitely isn’t comparable to first nations. Also Canada is calling it a nation, we all know Canada is responsible for colonizing these lands, therefore they should not be dictating who or what is indigenous ot a nation, or who they deal with.
I know blood quantum is tricky, but there has to be a measure. If its DNA then so be it, but that would make 50% of Quebec having native blood. Also living on reserve and experiencing a completely different systemic life. Sure adoptes and otehrs unique cases exist, yet being born in toronto with a little native blood shouldn’t allow to get full paid doctorate at universities as a native person. I could never!
Canada needs a different distinction between Metis and aboriginal rights, and it does actually. If you support metis people as a nation, your upholding them as lobbying group taking billions of dollars a year from reserves(people). Sure some native people have been absorbed into the system and should reconnect with their true nation, not make up a new one. Still that experience doesn’t hold the same trauma, or hard ships compared to living on reserve.
If only metis could mean mixed blood, everyone could participate in culture, no one would be fighting about whos metis.
To all the pretendian catchers, like Darryl Leroux and the instagram one that sent me the Jean Teillet podcast, I respect what you do putting pressure is fine, and I get it, especially as finances are involved.
But I will say your stance on Metis people is off, either we accept any canadian with mix blood as metis, or we accept none. Being native isn’t about culture if so Buffy would count. being native is about blood! Its objective.
I believe all mix raced people like me should say they have indigenous ancestry, are descendants but not identify as an indigenous person for financial or personal gain. Stay humble and let the fiscal reparations go to first nations and inuit. Anyone upholding the term Metis as a nation, as a lobbying tool for money or Grants or bullying others is taking money away from reserves who need it wayyy more. Claim mix blood if you want to, there are mixed race people all over Canada, I’m not trying to take that away from anyone. If you are metis(mixed) you cannot claim others aren’t because an association you created gives you a card, nor should we take funds as indigenous peoples or really take up much space. I believe no Metis Organization should be taking government money or land. If you disagree you haven’t seen or lived on some reserves. The UN quality of life index places Canadians in the top 5 worldwide, while someone on reserve drops to 65th place!