Introduction
The Métis people are a result of unions between Aboriginal people and Europeans -- mostly French fur traders and Aboriginal women. Some Métis people have their combined Aboriginal and European roots in the early beginnings of Canada. However, the Métis nation truly came together as a distinct group because of events that happened in Western Canada in the 1800s.
History
The term Métis comes from a Latin word, "miscere," which means to mix. Métis people have ancestors who are French, Mohawk, Algonquin and Ojibwa, among other nationalities. The area around where Oka is today, near Montréal, was a place of trade between Aboriginal groups and the French. It was where many people from these different nations originally met.
Aboriginal men taught the mainly French explorers and fur traders how to live in the woods. These "coureurs des bois" ("runners of the woods") met Ojibwa, Assiniboine and Cree women and settled down to raise families with them. The Métis nation began to take shape.
The fur trade contributed to other meetings between European men and Aboriginal women.
The Métis people developed a nation that borrowed elements from both the Aboriginal and the European cultures. With time, though, this nation had to defend itself against both societies. In order to survive, the Métis had to fight the Red River settlers at Seven Oaks in 1816, the Dakota in 1850 and the Canadian army in 1869-70 and in 1885. Even today, their struggle for full recognition continues.
Daily Life
Something that added to the uniqueness of the Métis nation was that, as the children of mainly Aboriginal women and French men, they were able to become middlemen in the fur trade. They could speak the languages of the various groups involved and were able to fit into the worlds of both Aboriginal people and Europeans. They were also excellent buffalo hunters.
The Métis ate food they could get by hunting and fishing, like buffalo, deer, moose, elk, prairie chickens, rabbits, ducks, geese and fish. They also gathered berries. Pemmican, made from dried crushed meat, was an important food because it was easy to take on hunting trips and did not go bad.
The Métis also made a type of bread called bannock.
Métis men often wore a short shirt, red woolen cap, deerskin pants, moccasins and a long hooded coat called a "capot".
Métis men also wore a colourful sash around their waist. It was a very practical piece of clothing. It could be used as a rope, bandage, washcloth, towel or emergency saddle blanket. The long fringes could be used as thread. Each colour in the sash has a special meaning: blue and white represent the Métis flag; red represents the hunting flag; black reminds the Métis of their struggle for their rights; and green stands for growth and prosperity for the Métis nation. This sash is still used by the Métis today during special ceremonies.
Most Métis women dressed in simple dresses with high necklines. They often wore shawls over their heads and moccasins on their feet. They sometimes decorated their clothing with embroidery or Native beadwork.
The Métis often lived in square log cabins. In the fall they would cover their homes with a layer of mud to provide insulation. This would keep the house warmer in the winter. The floors were sometimes made of wood, but usually were dirt. The Métis heated their homes with iron stoves or mud ovens.
Culture
The Métis language is called Michif. It is a mixed language that uses French nouns with Cree verbs and Cree grammar. It also has some Ojibwa and English words in it. A language similar to Michif, called Bungee, also had some Gaelic words in it (learned from Scottish fur traders). Bungee is now extinct. Non-Métis people often were mean to the Métis for speaking Michif, so for a while many Métis stopped teaching it to their children. Now people are becoming more proud of their Métis heritage and are encouraging their children to learn Michif.
The Métis were brought up in the Catholic or Protestant faith of their European fathers and the Native spiritual beliefs of their Aboriginal mothers.
The Métis are known as great fiddle players and step dancers. Both the fiddle playing and dancing originally came from the French and the Scots. The Métis adapted them to their culture, often adding footwork from Native dances and making their own fiddles.
The Métis people are a result of unions between Aboriginal people and Europeans -- mostly French fur traders and Aboriginal women. Some Métis people have their combined Aboriginal and European roots in the early beginnings of Canada. However, the Métis nation truly came together as a distinct group because of events that happened in Western Canada in the 1800s.
History
The term Métis comes from a Latin word, "miscere," which means to mix. Métis people have ancestors who are French, Mohawk, Algonquin and Ojibwa, among other nationalities. The area around where Oka is today, near Montréal, was a place of trade between Aboriginal groups and the French. It was where many people from these different nations originally met.
Aboriginal men taught the mainly French explorers and fur traders how to live in the woods. These "coureurs des bois" ("runners of the woods") met Ojibwa, Assiniboine and Cree women and settled down to raise families with them. The Métis nation began to take shape.
The fur trade contributed to other meetings between European men and Aboriginal women.
The Métis people developed a nation that borrowed elements from both the Aboriginal and the European cultures. With time, though, this nation had to defend itself against both societies. In order to survive, the Métis had to fight the Red River settlers at Seven Oaks in 1816, the Dakota in 1850 and the Canadian army in 1869-70 and in 1885. Even today, their struggle for full recognition continues.
Daily Life
Something that added to the uniqueness of the Métis nation was that, as the children of mainly Aboriginal women and French men, they were able to become middlemen in the fur trade. They could speak the languages of the various groups involved and were able to fit into the worlds of both Aboriginal people and Europeans. They were also excellent buffalo hunters.
The Métis ate food they could get by hunting and fishing, like buffalo, deer, moose, elk, prairie chickens, rabbits, ducks, geese and fish. They also gathered berries. Pemmican, made from dried crushed meat, was an important food because it was easy to take on hunting trips and did not go bad.
The Métis also made a type of bread called bannock.
Métis men often wore a short shirt, red woolen cap, deerskin pants, moccasins and a long hooded coat called a "capot".
Métis men also wore a colourful sash around their waist. It was a very practical piece of clothing. It could be used as a rope, bandage, washcloth, towel or emergency saddle blanket. The long fringes could be used as thread. Each colour in the sash has a special meaning: blue and white represent the Métis flag; red represents the hunting flag; black reminds the Métis of their struggle for their rights; and green stands for growth and prosperity for the Métis nation. This sash is still used by the Métis today during special ceremonies.
Most Métis women dressed in simple dresses with high necklines. They often wore shawls over their heads and moccasins on their feet. They sometimes decorated their clothing with embroidery or Native beadwork.
The Métis often lived in square log cabins. In the fall they would cover their homes with a layer of mud to provide insulation. This would keep the house warmer in the winter. The floors were sometimes made of wood, but usually were dirt. The Métis heated their homes with iron stoves or mud ovens.
Culture
The Métis language is called Michif. It is a mixed language that uses French nouns with Cree verbs and Cree grammar. It also has some Ojibwa and English words in it. A language similar to Michif, called Bungee, also had some Gaelic words in it (learned from Scottish fur traders). Bungee is now extinct. Non-Métis people often were mean to the Métis for speaking Michif, so for a while many Métis stopped teaching it to their children. Now people are becoming more proud of their Métis heritage and are encouraging their children to learn Michif.
The Métis were brought up in the Catholic or Protestant faith of their European fathers and the Native spiritual beliefs of their Aboriginal mothers.
The Métis are known as great fiddle players and step dancers. Both the fiddle playing and dancing originally came from the French and the Scots. The Métis adapted them to their culture, often adding footwork from Native dances and making their own fiddles.
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