Homeland Report on the Metis People of Canada: GNED 1473 Assignment

This report provides an overview of the Metis people in Canada, fulfilling the requirements of a GNED 1473 Homeland Report. It begins by establishing the historical context of Indigenous populations before European colonization, emphasizing their societal structures and land ownership. The report then focuses on the Metis, detailing their origins in the 1700s from mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, their cultural practices like hunting, celebrations, artistic endeavors, and their unique Michif language. It also discusses their political and spiritual beliefs. Furthermore, the report examines the Metis' contemporary presence, highlighting their significant population growth and the Canadian government's increased engagement with them, including their concentration in urban centers within the Metis Homeland Nation. The report includes references to support the findings and provide further reading on the subject.

Running head: HOMELAND REPORT 1
Homeland Report
Name
Institution

HOMELAND REPORT 2
Metis People of Canada
This research aims to talk about the Metis people of Canada. Before colonization, indigenous
populations in Canada were healthy and strong. They also had complex and diverse societies.
Women were highly valued and children were raised based on values of the sacred circle and
environments that were extremely rich with resources. The land was initially owned by the
indigenous people until the Europeans started arriving in Canada (Silliman, 2016). They always
fought collectively to protect their lands and rights. But with the arrival of Europeans, indigenous
people were dislocated from their lands thus leading to a lot of land settlement fights. This
prompted the Europeans to sign land treaties with the indigenous people to bring peace in this
region. A peace treaty was signed and reaffirmed in 1749 and 1752 to normalize peace (Stuart,
2017). The treaty, however, did not see members of the first nation such as Passamaquoddy
surrender their right to own land. There was also a Royal Proclamation of 1763 which was aimed
at protecting the sovereignty of the indigenous people to own land (Stuart, 2017). There was also
the Robinson treaties that were aimed at compelling the members of the first nation to surrender
their land. In the post-contact period, smallpox affected a lot of Canadians. Additionally, most
indigenous people lost their traditional knowledge of healing practices, indigenous plants, and
animals. The map below shows precolonial Canada.

HOMELAND REPORT 3
The Metis people originated in the 1700s and they represent approximately 35% of the total
aboriginal population in Canada. These people originated from a mixed indigenous and
European ancestry (Logan, 2015). Most of the people, approximately 85% who identify as Metis
live in Ontario and the western provinces. Metis people are historically known for hunting
buffalos. The hunts were done to mark festive events. They engaged in several celebratory
activities as part of their culture. These activities included horse-racing and winter-sleigh racing.
The Metis women engaged in a lot of artistic activities such as decorating outfits that were worn
by their men. The Metis spoke multiple languages and also showed literacy in both French and
English. There most common language was the Michif language that was a mixture of French
and Cree verbs (LearnMichif.com, 2020). Their stories were also a combination of elements and
their ancestral traditions. They also engaged in art and poetry. The Metis also had strong political
and spiritual beliefs that they used as a guide in their daily lives.

HOMELAND REPORT 4
The Metis population keeps growing in Canada today. In the 2016 census, the Metis were
identified as the largest population among the indigenous populations. Almost 90% of the Metis
indicated that they lived in Ontario. This shows that the Metis continue to exist in the
contemporary world in Canada. A huge population of Metis people currently live in urban
centers in the Metis Homeland Nation that is made up of three provinces that include Alberta,
Manitoba, and Saskatchewan (The Métis Nation, 2020). Reports from the 2016 census also
indicated that the number of younger Metis was more as compared to the non-indigenous
Canadians. The Canadian government has been forced to work more closely with the Metis
population due to its increasing population.

HOMELAND REPORT 5
References
Logan, T. (2015). Settler colonialism in Canada and the Métis. Journal of Genocide
Research, 17(4), 433-452.
Overview | LearnMichif.com. (2020). Retrieved 16 April 2020, from
http://www.learnmichif.com/culture/overview
Silliman, S. W. (2016). : Writing New Archaeological Narratives: Indigenous North America.
In Handbook of postcolonial archaeology (pp. 145-164). Routledge.
Stuart, J. (2017). Aboriginal Rights & Treaty Research in Canada. Can. L. Libr. Rev., 42, 13.
The Métis Nation | Métis National Council. (2020). Retrieved 16 April 2020, from
https://www.metisnation.ca/index.php/who-are-the-metis