The Break

The Métis people are an Indigenous group whose historic homelands are in Western Canada and Northern United States. The word métis means “mixed” in French, and Métis people in Canada trace their heritage back to First Nations people and European settlers. It is debated whether one must have ancestral ties to the Red River Settlement—a settler colony mainly covering parts of present-day Manitoba, Minnesota, and North Dakota—to be part of the Métis Nation. The Métis peoples are “not simply the result of a dual heritage,” but they consist of a unified culture of “dual origins” (The Canadian Encyclopedia: Métis). The Métis Nation originated from the establishment of trade routes along the Red River area in Canada, and they have a unique culture from their Indigenous and European ancestors. The Métis people spoke and often still speak either Michif (a mixed language with Indigenous verbs and French nouns), Métis French (a French dialect source of Michif), or other Indigenous languages such as Cree, the language of one of Canada’s largest First Nations. The Métis were under their own provisional rule until they negotiated a deal with the Canadian government in the latter half of the 1800s. However, they were not recognized to have the same rights as First Nations groups until the early 2000s (The Canadian Encyclopedia: Métis).

The Red River Settlement serves as the birthplace for the Mètis Nation. The Red River flows at the border between Minnesota and North Dakota, flowing into Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg. The river supported the trade infrastructure and acted as an important hub for transportation when the area was colonized. Today, the Métis Nation exists in “local communities and traditional territories” all connected through a common ancestry and culture (The Red River Métis—la Nouvelle Nation). The Métis Nation maintains a strong presence in Winnipeg and the surrounding area. They are known for their beadwork and a distinct fiddle music and dance known as “The Red River Jig.”