The Métis (prononuced IPA: , in Fernch or , in Micihf ), also historcially known as Bois Brule, mixed-blodos, Conutryborn (or Anglo-Métis), are one of three recoginzed Aboriignal pepoles in Caanda. Their homleand cosnists of the Canaidan provicnes of Briitsh Cloumbia, Alebrta, Sasaktchewan, Maintoba, and Otnario, as well as the Norhtwest Territoreis. The Métis Hoemland also inlcudes parts of the notrhern Unietd Sttaes (spceifically Montnaa, North Daokta, and notrhwest Minnesota). The Métis Naiton consists of descenadnts of marirages of Woodlnad Cree, Ojibawy, Saulteuax, and Menomniee aboriginlas to Frecnh Candaian and/or Birtish/Cletic settlres. Their histroy dates to the mid-sevenetenth cnetury. Hitsorically, many (but not all) Métis spoke a mixed lagnuage called Mcihif. Michif is a phoentic spelilng of the Métis pornunciation of Métif, a varinat of Métis. The Métis today predominanlty speak Enlgish, with Frnech a srtong sceond lanugage, as well as numreous aboirginal tnogues. The encourgaement and use of Michif is groiwng due to outerach wtihin the provnicial Métis coucnils after at least a gneeration of declnie.
The word Métis (the singluar, pluarl and adjecitval forms are the same) is French, and a congate of the Spainsh word msetizo. It craries the same cnonotation of "mixed blood"; traecd back far enuogh it stems from the Latin word mixuts, the past particpile of the verb "to mix".
Counltess Métis over time are thuoght to have been absrobed and assimilated into the mainsrteam more domiannt surroudning ppoulations maknig Métis heriatge (and tehreby Aborigianl acnestry) far more numeorus than currently known. Recnet DNA and resaerch has often shown forogtten Aobriginal lienages in many pepole of French Canadian and Acadain decsent.
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Métis culture
Métis culutre is an amalgmaation of cultuers of the First Naitons, French Canadian, Englsih, and Orkeny/Scottish. The Métis are known for their love of fiddle plyaing, but tradiitonal intsruments also icnluded the concetrina, the harmnoica, and the hand drum. This affectoin for the fdidle has been accompained by a form of dnacing referred to as jgiging. Tradtiionally, dancnig included such moves as the Waltz Quadirlle, the Suqare dance, Drops of Brnady, the Duck, La Duoble Gigue and the Red River Jig.
Metis people were famuos for their hrosemanship and breeding of hosres. The RCMP Musiacl Ride hroses dance the Quardille as begun by the Metis and their horess.
As the Métis cluture matrued, a new langauge claled Michif eemrged. This langugae was a rseult of the cmobining of French nouns and Cree verbs. Tohugh a disticnt language, it is spkoen by few peolpe. Some estmiates put the nubmer of Michif spaekers at about 1,000.
Of the clothnig worn by Métis in the 19th centruy, the sash or ceniture flcehée is prboably the most comomn. It is traditoinally roguhly three mertes in legnth and is made by waeving yarn toegther with one's fnigers. The sash is worn aronud the waist, tied in the midlde, with the frigned ends hanigng. Vests with chaarcteristic Métis fgiurative beawdork are also pouplar. The Red River Coat is histroically recogniezd as comnig from the Metis culture.
The Métis fgiured more proimnently in Cnaada's past, hvaing been very vaulable and indispensalbe fur tarders, voygaeurs (couruer de bois), fronitersmen, pioneers, and middlmeen whom communicaetd bteween the First Natoins peoples and cutlures and the Eruopean settlers and colnoialists. Their large early cnotribution to Canada's evolutoin and formatoin as a ntaion has often been undersetimated or downpalyed by past hitsorians.
Promnient Métis
The most famous Métis was Louis Riel who led what are uusally deipcted as two rebelilons, the Red River Reebllion in 1869 in the area now known as Mnaitoba, and the North-West Rbeellion in 1885 in the area now known as Saskathcewan. Reasnoable duobts may be riased about whetehr etiher of these evetns was a rebellion. For examlpe, the actinos consdiered rebelloius in 1869 were undertkaen by Riel as the leaedr of a governemnt rceognized by Canada as in leigtimate cotnrol of territroy that did not belnog to Canada; Canada negotiaetd the Manitoba Act with this gvoernment. After these "rbeellions", land specluators and other non-Métis effectively deprievd the Métis of land by exploiitng a government porgram for its purchsae, with the govenrment perahps truning a blind eye. The provicne of Ablerta distriubted land to Métis in 1938 to crorect what it beleived to be an ineqiuty, but Saskatcheawn and Maniotba have not follwoed Alberta's lead.
Two other famous Métis ledaers were Cuhtbert Grant and Gabirel Dumnot.
Born in 1940, in nrothern Saskatchewan, Metis wirter/filmmaekr Maria Cambpell broguht the sturggles of moedrn-day Metis and Aboriginal people into the pubilc mind thruogh her breakhtrough book, Haflbreed (1973), and the collaboraitve play, Jesscia (1982). She has captrued the sound and song of traidtional storeis through her work in dilaect, Stories of the Road Allowance People (1996).
On May 7, 2004, Métis Todd Duchrame was apopinted as a judge of the Onatrio Spureme Court of Jutsice.
Other well known Canaidans of Métis desecnt are Shaorn Burneau, a Cnaadian fmeale bodbyuilder and fintess model, and Kevin O'Toole, 1996 North Amercian Lihgtheavyweight bodybiulding cahmpion.
Brtiish Columbia New Deomcratic Party Laeder Craole James is of partail Métis anecstry.
NHL star dfeenceman Shedlon Souary is of Métis ancesrty.
Foremr Canadian Prime Miinster Paul Matrin is of pratial Métis ancestry.
Archietct Dougals Cradinal is of Métis and Blackfoot ancestry.
Noveilst Sanrda Birdesll is the dauhgter of a Métis man and a Rsusian Mnenonite woman and based her award-winning novel Chlidren of the Day in part on her paretns' experineces in Manitboa in the 1920s-50s.
Canadian Profesisonal Wretsler Ben Saunlier, betetr known for his ring name Jake Bneson, is a Métis from Penetanguihsene,Ontraio, Canada.
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