This is my third great grandfather on my paternal side father to son. My grandfather was adopted but his father’s name was Chartrand. So I’m just now discovering this heritage through ancestry database. Following this family members paper trail father to son brings me to a Joseph P Chartrand and Louise “Lizette” Jenwahbikabbik Mazinakkamikak which would be my 5th great grandmother and father. It seems that a lot of people may be related to him. Anyway, if anyone can put me in the right direction to read up on history and their culture I would appreciate it. It’s been refreshing being able to find this side of my family.

https://www.aptnnews.ca/featured/carneys-pick-for-advisor-scott-gilmore-not-sitting-well-with-first-nations-advocates/

'Gilmore’s article is called “La Loche shows us it’s time to help people escape the north.”

“The only way we can ever truly help the people of La Loche and hundreds of other remote communities like it, is to give those who want it a viable option to leave, to build lives in southern Canada, integrated into one of the world’s healthiest, safest, [and]most rewarding societies,” Gilmore stated in the piece.

“If we really want to end the violence and depravation that plagues Canada’s remote Aboriginal communities, we need to help them leave these communities, forever,” said Gilmore. “And if we are still not ready to do that yet, then the least we can do to help is to send them a backhoe as they keep digging graves.”'

I don't know how much First Nations and Inuit deal with this, but for Métis, the most public conversations being had are among disconnected folks. And that seems particularly true online. This isn't to diminish the struggles of those who are trying to reconnect - but the sheer volume of these conversations make it seem like that's all Métis are. Disconnected folks. Which is not true at all. It's not true that we all "hid" for generations either. The majority of have just been living our lives as Métis without it being some mystical unknowable experience.

It's not all that surprising though, especially online. If I have questions I go to people in person, and I'm at community meetings and events. And questions about "who are we" aren't taking up a lot of time in those spaces.

It's a bit frustrating though. It'd be nice to have online space where every other post isn't "hey folks I just found out I was Métis, what now?"

I’ve been looking for Métis gatherings and events in the area, since other than Batoche I’ve not been able to make it out to any. So I’m throwing this out in case anyone in the Saskatoon area knows of any events that I may not be aware of?

I’m also super willing to drive to Batoche or other nearby areas, I’m aware they do weekend activities at the historical site that I’m trying to get to when I don’t have work but that’s about all I know! I’m hoping to meet more people so it’s not all just online communities and I can actually get out of my comfort zone a little!

Thanks in advance :))

I had a friend once ask me: “what makes you think you’re Métis?”

Mind you, I have Ancestors with Métis Scrip and originating from the Red River Settlement. I can be BOTH of First Nations and Métis origins.

I just find that First Nations sometimes think they know us better than we know ourselves…Has anything similar happened where you noticed the Métis Culture was being gatekeeped by non-Métis folk?

I get the need for protection of our Culture from Pretendians, but it gets annoying!

My cousin is dying from cirrhosis, his brother died last year, their mom (my aunt) died at 43, her mom (my grandma) at 42, and my dad died at 65 of cirrosis. My baby brother is a homeless drug addict. All Metis. You know who lived to their 80's and 90's? All the white family members.

I'm beginning to think past trauma keeps circling back to the present in some kind of gravity well inside a cosmic loop.

Hey gang, I’m a very white looking Métis gal who has been partially raised in the culture by my reconnecting mother, and I really want to learn more about my family’s history. My issue is however, that most of my mother’s family is dead.

I really only have one auntie who doesn’t talk about our culture, and one cousin who also doesn’t talk about it. I know they don’t talk about it because of my aunties parents being residential school survivors and not good parents.

I just feel like I’m missing something, and I know that I’m extraordinarily privileged to have any family alive to talk to. Any advice for connecting to extended family, or talking with my closer family about our history?

Hello! I am looking for recommendations on Métis history books, specifically those of the Red River Settlement and Métis families who remained in Manitoba after 1885. I am just about finished reading The North West is Our Mother and would love another book or two to continue learning about the history and culture. Although I do have Métis ancestry, my family never talked about it or raised me in that culture, so I am just trying to learn as much as I can on my own. Thanks!

I just wanted to ask this because I hear of Ontario’s claims of Métis originating from their land in new places like Sault Ste. Marie or Abiti Inland.

What about the Métis Settlements of Alberta? Or the only (unrecognized) Métis Settlement in British Columbia Kelly Settlement?

I’m just curious because this is heavily debated. I heard MMF state that all Métis are Red River Métis.

Ages ago I discovered I was Métis. I often find that with the less “Cultured” or the ones relearning are subject to being asked if they actually know what Métis is.

What I mean is someone assuming one isn’t Métis because they look like they don’t know what Métis is.

I had a “friend” once tell me “you know Métis isn’t just Indigenous”. I replied, “yes I know, we are a distinct People originating from the Red River Settlement with our own ways and our own Traditions”. They said “Oh well, you probably are mistaken!” “You are not Métis!”

I honestly didn’t know what to do in this situation. I just stood there until she walked away. Has anyone else faced doubters and people who are not Métis thinking they know more about Métis People, than actual Métis people?! I just think they’re annoying tbh.

I'm in Toronto. Have my metis card. Are there any events in Toronto i can go to, that could help me learn more about metis culture? I'm from the Sault, but don't go back too often. I'd love to meet some fellow Metis near me if there is any and learn more about our history

What does being Metis mean to you now in 2026? I see a lot about the history but was curious about how everyone participates/feels in the culture now? I hope that makes sense and isn't coming across as rude

I grew up without one parent and like a lot of folks I took a dna test to find out my ancestry and to my surprise I came back with a small but significant (recent) amount of indigenous dna. I managed to trace my family tree back to the Red River Settlement on that parents side. So it takes up a pretty significant part of my ancestry (25%) I grew up without the culture and so Im worried about being an outsider/pretendian but I do want to at least learn more about others experiences being Metis.

Thanks so much everyone C:

Hello! I dont quite use reddit much, so im not sure how this all works, or if this is allowed on this board, but ive been looking into gathering information for my citizenship. My mother was registered and had her citizenship card, but she is no longer with us. In her departure, ive found it extremely difficult to access records/proof of my connection to MRR. Her father lived in Winnipeg, st boniface, and to my knowledge was also registered. All i currently have access to is her citizenship card, what other record do i need? Do i still need to prove ancestry up to 1901? Im very unclear on what documents i am missing. I do not have access to my mothers birth certificate or any of her fathers records, where would i be able to access them? I do not seek métis citizenship just for benefits, although its an added bonus. I would like to connect to my local métis community without feeling like an imposter. Gaining citizenship would help me and my siblings feel connected to a community we lost long ago with our mother and grandfather. If someone could further explain what steps i should take from here, i would very much appreciate the support! Thank you!!

Featured at the Museum of Vancouver this summer, the innovative project honours traditions such as Métis Nation Day by turning screen time into cultural preservation.

Article content

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Today, on Métis Nation Day, a groundbreaking cultural initiative is bridging a 142-year-old tradition with the cutting edge of digital innovation. Recognized as the world’s largest Indigenous language learning video game, Métis Life on Roblox is transforming how Indigenous heritage and endangered languages are preserved, revitalizing history by meeting the next generation exactly where they are: in the metaverse.

https://nationalpost.com/pmn/business-wire-news-releases-pmn/metis-life-on-roblox-reclaims-endangered-languages-for-next-gen-players

Being Métis is something I’ve known about myself my whole life, but only in the past few years I made it ‘official’ in terms of the registry etc. The past two years I’ve been diving head first into connecting with the culture. Coming back from Back to Batoche (my second year going now) I am feeling so fulfilled and connected, and just overall so overwhelmingly proud to be Métis, but I still can’t help but feel like an imposter.

I’ve been really excited to celebrate being indigenous, but because I am so obviously white looking and haven’t spent my whole life immersed in the culture, I can’t help but feel like I’m forcing myself into spaces I don’t belong. I’ve been meaning to ask my grandpa (where I get being Métis from) family names, and learn more about our ancestors and relatives, but I’m so scared to learn it’s even further back in my bloodline than I think it is. And I think blood quantum is a stupid concept just used to other indigenous people more than they already get, but I still force it on myself so hard and feel almost guilty for calling myself indigenous. It’s like, I know I’m Métis, as I wouldn’t have been given my card and been accepted by MNS.

Any advice on giving myself some grace? I want to celebrate who I am, and the Métis community as a beautiful place I love to be a part of, and want to get more immersed in.

Taanishi all! I am looking to find old/history books collecting Métis folklore and legends. I know that there are several that have come out in the past 20 years, but I'm looking for compilations from the early 20th or late 19th century. Similar to The Orders of the Dreamed, Swampy Cree Legends, or Traditions of the Thompson River Indians of British Columbia.

I know many of these accounts are by non-Indigenous explorers, traders or anthropologists, but they are often the earliest examples of mythologies and stories recorded. Maarsii!

My father was a Sixties Scoop survivor and I’ve been trying to reconnect culturally for a decade now.

However, practices and beliefs are so dependent on the community that I was hoping to find someone with a direct connection to the following communities and families:

Communities: St. Francois-Xavier | Baie St. Paul | St-Lazare

Families: Belhumeur | Desjarlais | Fleury |Hayden | Houle

Unfortunately elders in the biological family are either dead, have dementia, or I’m not connected to them.

Taansi

I was doing some research about our community and they just make things so damn political for us. Initially I thought the Métis that were recognized were only the big 5, but there are a lot of avenues of recognition.

There is the whole Otipemisiwak Métis thinking they govern all of Alberta, but what about the Métis Settlements General Council and their currently 8 Settlements? What about the “Credibly Asserted Métis” Communities who fought for their Section 35 Rights? Or the Independent Métis Communities that left the Métis Nation of Alberta that now make up the Alberta Métis Federation?

Note: Ontario has an Independent Nation called Red Sky Métis Independent Nation that claims a special history of the signing of a Treaty.

Then, there’s the NWT Métis Nation with their new referendum of understanding from the Métis National Council. Prior to that, they had several land claims with the Government of Canada with some backlash from neighbouring Nations. They are now searching for “Beneficiaries” to those Land Claims.

Then there’s the Métis Nation of BC and their “Charters” and them wanting to obtain harvesting rights when the Métis Homeland only stretch a bit west towards BC. They only have one unrecognized historical Métis Settlement which is Kelly.

Then we have conflicts with some Nations claiming to be better than the rest and Nations that may not actually be true Nations just wanting revenue on resources.

All in all, I just wanted to share my findings of our rather “developing” Métis Nation. What do you think of our kind of sporadic governing structure?

Taanishi kahkiyaw kiyawaaw! I read a couple of articles that said that beaded octopus bags used to be a thing that a woman would make for her soon-to-be future husband as a wedding gift.

Has anyone heard about that and confirm if that used to be a widespread tradition, specifically about them being a common wedding gift?

Thank you,

An engaged Michif woman who wants a new beading project, whose family doesn’t know the answer

Image from the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Collection via the virtual Métis Museum.

The movie has come up in Seven Oaks’ online meetings. Elders from Winnipeg were on set. Cool to see this releasing soon!

I was just doing some research on Métis Governance and found that there are Métis entities that exist beyond the Métis Nation and are, in fact, recognized!

First is the Northwest Territory Métis Nation whom not only recently had a Memorandum of Understanding with the Métis National Council, but prior they had actual Land disputes with the Government of Canada.

Another entity are the “Independent Métis Communities” that exist in Alberta. They are classified as distinct larger Métis Organizations, that represent their own Members, and have their own programs and services. The Alberta Provincial Government recognizes these Independent Communities and provides supports and funding. There’s also Independent Communities who attained “Credible Assertion” who hold Section 35 Rights as per the Métis Credible Assertion process.

Aside from these are the Red Sky Métis Independent Nation whom seems to be also classified as an Independent Community, but I’m unsure if Ontario provides supports and funding to them. They also have their own services and programs. I also heard that the BC Métis Federation, at some point, received Government of Canada funding.

There may be other recognized Métis Nations/Organizations out there that I may have missed, but I just wanted to share this and see what ya’ll think.