1.4 Case Study: Métis
Case Study: Métis
When a culture is forced to the sidelines of the dominant culture and is no longer able to live fully and celebrate its uniqueness, it is said to be marginalized. Minority groups are frequently marginalized and can disappear altogether. A renewal or rebirth of a culture is cultural revitalization.
The Métis in Canada have been marginalized and have also experienced a renewal over the past few years. There are over 350,000 Métis in Canada, making up more than a quarter of the Aboriginal population.
Canada's Métis are the descendants of First Nations women and the early white explorers, fur traders, and settlers in Canada. Métis means "mixed blood." Most Métis have French, English, or Scottish ancestors, and many carry surnames from those cultures. From this union, a new distinct culture and language was formed.
The new language which emerged, called Michif, was a blend of French and Cree, with distinct features of both languages. Most Métis are Roman Catholic. The first Métis blended the survival skills of the native people and the technology of the Europeans. This blend of skills made them uniquely suited to the Canadian landscape. Unfortunately, many of the European men would eventually leave their Métis families. This forced the Métis women into key roles in their communities because they had to be resourceful and resilient to survive. As their numbers grew, men and women of Métis heritage intermarried, forming their own distinct Métis communities along the fur trade route and at the site of trading posts. Métis communities were connected through the fur trade network, their relatives in different places, and their distinct way of life. Today, Métis communities are found in every western Canadian province and the Northwest Territories.
National definition of Métis: Métis means a person who self-identifies as Métis, is of historic Métis Nation ancestry, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, and is accepted by the Métis Nation.