The Métis people are an integral part of Canada’s history—and future. This article is part of an ongoing ICT series examining Indigenous identity. The Métis have been intertwined with the creation of Canada since the country’s inception. Louis Riel, a Canadian politician and Métis leader, formed the provisional government for Manitoba in 1870 to become the fifth province in the fledgling Canadian Confederation formed in 1867. The Manitoba Act included protection of minority language rights, which at the time referred to English, and instructions for the Canadian government to negotiate a treaty with First Nations peoples.
“We underestimate the power of Louis Riel and the provisional government,” Forsythe told ICT. “We forget that, at that time, that America wanted to expand beyond the 49th parallel. We forget that there are many nations not wanting to become part, or many people not wanting to become part of Canada itself. It was really Louis Riel and his provisional government that was made up of everyone that lived here in Winnipeg and in this area, who came together, who created the list of rights to say, ‘Yes, we want to be part of you, but these are some of the things that we demand.’”
The Métis Nation is an Indigenous nation with deep historical roots across the Prairie provinces and parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and northern Montana and North Dakota. Métis history is characterized by self-identity crystallizing in crises of governance and land transfer, notably during events surrounding Rupert’s Land and the Red River Resistance. The community’s contributions to Canada’s development and political landscape have long been recognized in scholarship, though public memory has at times underplayed or forgotten these roles.
Historically, the Métis emerged as a distinct peoples through mixing of Canadien and Indigenous traditions, forging communities that navigated fur trading networks, language diversity, and intergovernmental negotiations. Key moments include Métis leadership in resistance to external attempts to constrain their way of life and the assertion of rights within the context of Canadian nation-building.
Authors and historians emphasize that the Métis experience is essential to understanding Canada’s formation, as well as ongoing debates about rights, identity, and cultural preservation. The narrative highlights that Métis voices and governance structures contributed to shaping Manitoba’s status within Confederation and the broader Canadian political order.
“We forget that there are many nations not wanting to become part, or many people not wanting to become part of Canada itself.”
In sum, Métis history is an integral part of Canada’s past, present, and future, reflecting a resilient community that has contributed foundational rights and institutions to the Canadian mosaic.
Author’s summary
This piece underscores the Métis as a core, enduring thread in Canada’s formation, reasserting their rights, leadership, and cultural contributions within the nation’s evolving identity.
More News
- Freely | Stream Live and On Demand TV for Free
- Charlamagne Tha God — About
- Mainstream appoints second CEO
- Stephen A. Smith tirade on The View over Sen. Kelly video
- Charlamagne Tha God Hands Florida Yet Another "Donkey ..."
- Andrew Schulz & Charlamagne discuss Akaash Singh, his wife and an Applebee’s first date bit
- NATIONALISM Definition & Meaning
- Mad at the mainstream media? NBC News launches ‘Common Ground’ initiative to bridge partisan divide
- Charlamagne defends airline policy
- Nationalist leader Bahceli slams pope's visit to Türkiye as hidden propaganda of Christianity