Supporting Question 2: Metis

The second supporting question, “Who are the Metis?” helps students use primary sources to unwrap the context of the time and topic being examined.

The Metis cultural and political story is full of all the complexity one might expect of a people whose history and culture span the borders of two countries and are descended from numerous Indigenous and European nations. Metis people originated in the Red River Valley and continue to live across the border in both the United States and Canada. They are the descendants of European fur traders (mainly French and Scottish men) who married Native American/First Nations women (mainly Cree and Chippewa). They grew up with a blending of multiple cultures into a new and distinct culture of their own. They have a common culture, history, political traditions, and ancestral language called Michif. The use of the term Metis can sometimes be controversial as the word has had different meanings over time.

The Metis hunted bison on the northern Great Plains and developed a network of ox-cart trails from Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Winnipeg, Manitoba to support an expansive trade network. Many of the fur traders were French men with ties to the Northwest Company. The Northwest Company first formed to compete with the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) fur trade monopoly. This competition was intense, often violent, and eventually, the British government forced the two companies to merge. As the Metis people were generally affiliated with Northwest Company, they often found themselves at odds with the local HBC supported government in what is now Winnipeg, Manitoba. Originally settled by the Scottish Lord Selkirk on land obtained through an HBC land grant, the community was known as the Red River Colony or the Selkirk Colony. Intended to be an agricultural colony, organized to provide the HBC with a less expensive source of food in the region, Selkirk recruited Irish and Scottish settlers. The creation and growth of this colony led to a great deal of political strife and outright rebellion.

The Michif language is a combination of Cree and French, and while considered an endangered language, is still spoken by hundreds of people in North Dakota and Canada. Many Metis people practice Catholicism, Native American religious traditions, or a combination of both. While some Metis are enrolled tribal members, many are not and their status as Indigenous is not only controversial but interpreted differently by the governments of both the United States and Canada. The Metis did not sign treaties with either the U.S. or Canadian governments, and do not have sovereign nation status. However, Canada does recognize the Metis as a distinct ethnic group with Indigenous ancestry, and in 2017, established a nation-to-nation relationship with the Metis National Council.

Complete the following task using the sources provided to build a context of the time period and topic being examined.

Formative Performance Task 2

Study sources A and B. Write a summary that answers the following questions:

• What types of sources are they?
• What is going on in these sources (what kind of information do they contain)?
• Who created each of these sources?
• Who was the intended audience for each source?
• Why were these sources created? When were the sources created?
• What do the sources tell us about the Louis Riel and Metis culture and politics?

Featured Sources 2

Learn more about the history of the Metis in North Dakota by visiting the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum or the Gingras State Historic Site.