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Chapter 4 Focus Question:

To what extent has Canada


affirmed collective rights?

Metis:aUniquePerspective
MtisconsideredpartofCanadasaboriginal
peoplesundersection35ofconstitution.
Mtisdonothaveanyhistoricaltreatieswith
Canadiangovernment.
Mtisconsiderrightstoland,andrightstouse
landintraditionalways,asinherentrights,rights
theyhavebecausetheyarefirstnationspeoples.

Mtis:multipledefinitions
AboriginalPeopledistinctfromFirstNations
andInuit
DescendantsofthehistoricMtiswhoevolved
inwhatisnowWesternCanadaasapeople
withacommonpoliticalwill
DescendantsofthoseAboriginalPeoplewho
havebeenabsorbedbythehistoricMtis
SomeonewhodeclareshimorherselfasMtis,
hastraditionallyheldhimorherselfasMtis,
andisacceptedbytheMtiscommunityas
Mtis

MtisHistory
TheMtisaredescendantsofmarriagesofCree,Inuit,
Ojibway,Algonquin,Saulteaux,andMenomineeaboriginals
toEuropeans(PredominantlytheFrench),andareoneof
threerecognizedAboriginalpeoplesinCanada,alongwith
theFirstNationsandInuit.Commonlypronounced"MAY
tee"or"mayTEE"inEnglish,inQuebecFrench,metis,
theyarealsohistoricallyknownasBoisBrl,mixed
bloods,orCountryborn(AngloMtis).Theirhomeland
consistsoftheCanadianprovincesofBritishColumbia,
Alberta,Saskatchewan,Manitoba,Ontario,andQuebec,as
wellastheNorthwestTerritories.TheMtisHomelandalso
includespartsofthenorthernUnitedStates(specifically
Montana,NorthDakota,andnorthwestMinnesota)

Mtischaracteristics
Language:calledMICHIF(combiningCree,
FrenchandEnglishwords)
Beliefs:MostMtisretainAboriginalspiritual
beliefs
Cultureandvalues:combiningFirstNationsand
EuroCanadianvaluesandmodesofexpression.
Forexample,jigging,afavouriteformofdance,
mixesthereelsofScotlandandFrancewiththe
chickendanceoftheCree.

Aroughstart

WhenMtislearnedthatthegovernmentofCanadawillseized
theirland,theydecidedtofighttoprotectit.

Mtisrebellion
http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10646

TheManitobaAct
Mtisled1870RedRiverResistanceresultedin
theManitobaActpassedbyParliamentin1870.
ProvisionalgovernmentestablishedbyMtiswith
LouisRielasitspresident.Rielchampionedthe
causeforbothMtisandFrancophonerights.
Established;

Manitobaabilingualprovince
HadeducationrightsforCatholicsandProtestants.
Mtislandrights.
Mtiswouldreceiveover500,000hectaresoflandplus
landtheyhadestablishedalongtheRedRiver.

WhattheyactuallyGot
Scrip

Canadasgovernmentissuescrip
toMtis,insteadofestablishing
MtislandsinManitoba.
Mtisofferedchoice:toaccept
scriporbecomeTreatyIndians
underNumberedTreaty.
Governmentviewwas;Mtisdid
nothavesamerightstolandas
FirstNationsdidnotrequire
reserves.
Mtisperspectivewas/isMtis
haverightstolandasan
aboriginalpeople.

Scripcouldbeexchangedforland,butMtis
founditdifficulttousescriptoestablishalarge
tractoflandwheretheycouldalllivetogether.
ManyMtissoldtheirscripandleftManitobaand
movedwest(AlbertaandSaskatchewan)

AndTheyFoughtBack
LedbyLouisRiel,theNorthwest
Resistanceof1885wasaboutprotecting
MetislandsinSaskatchewan,asrailway
andsettlersmovedwestward.
Mtisviewwasawaytoasserttheirrights
likeRedRiverResistance.
Canadiangovernmentsawitasanattemptto
overthrowCanada'sauthority.

VivrelaResistance!
LouisRielledthisresistancewhichended
inamilitaryconflictbetweentheMetisand
Canadasgovernment.
MetissentpetitionstoOttawaaboutland
rights,howeverthegovernmentdidnot
respond.

LouisRiel
Rielhungfortreasonin
ReginaonNov.16,1885.
ManyAnglophonesagreed
withthesentence.
MostFrancophone's
opposedthesentenceand
sawitasabetrayalofthe
FrancophoneAnglophone
agreementatthefoundation
ofConfederation.
Todaymanypeople
considerLouisRiela
FatherofConfederation

1938MtisPopulationBetterment
Act
ThisActestablishedtwelvetemporary
Mtissettlements.
ThefirsttimeinCanadashistorya
governmentprovidedtheMtispeoplewith
land.

However
TemporarysettlementsdidnotgiveMtis
controlovertheland.
Foursettlementsprovedunsuitableforfarming,
huntingorfishing,landwenttogovernmentof
Alberta.
MtisnationofAlberta1932lobbiedforMtis
settlementsduringDepression

1982Constitution
MtislobbiedtoberecognizedinCanadas
constitution.

MtisincludedinConstitution;includedin
section35ofConstitutionrecognizingthe
MtisasoneofCanadasAboriginal
peopleswithrights.

1989ThesettlementsAccord
InAlberta,theMtissettlementsAct
authorisethetransfertoflandtoMtis
peopleandcreatelocalgovernment.The
Mtisfinallyhavearighttoself
government.
TheActestablished8settlementsacrossthe
province

1990Present
1990
AlbertasgovernmentenactedlegislationunderwhichtheMtis
settlementsasapermanentlandbasewiththerightstomanagetheirown
affairs.
Mtishavetherighttoparticipateinthedevelopmentofoilandgas
resourcesonsettlementlands

2003
TheSupremeCourtruledthattheMtishavetherighttohuntandfish,as
oneofCanadasaboriginalpeople.

2007
AlbertasgovernmentputrulesinplacethatrestricttheMtisrightsabove
withoutagreementfromtheMtis.Theseissueshaveyettoberesolved.
ReadthearticleSupremeCourtwon'thearAlbertaMetishuntingrights
appealpostedinMoodlelesson

AMtisPerspective
Seetextbookpage159

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