Metis Fight for Their Rights

Ryan Dickinson Dec 6th Sarah Paquette History 30

Today, the Metis people are recognized as important, influential people, both today and in Canadas history. They are an important part of our cultural and historical identity. However, they were not always recognized as such. For a long time in Canadas history, Metis were oppressed and disregarded. As a result, any rights, from a right to religion and language to political and cultural, had to be fought and won. These rights were understandably important to the Metis, as they wanted to be recognized for the importance they had in Canadas history. The Metis had an interesting religious background due to their mixed European and First Nations heritage. Much of their spirituality was a combination of the Catholic/protestant values brought over the seas from their fathers, and the traditional First Nations spirituality of their mothers. Because of this, their religion was a unique cultural blend. This was an important part of their culture because their religion was one of the many things which separated the Metis from the rest of the people living in Canada in the time, because it was a religion of their own. As such, it is easy to understand how and why they would fight to have it recognized as important and integral to the Metis cultural identity. As Canadian people, it is understandable that the Metis would wish to be respected and recognized as a people with political values. The right to vote and decide who you want to govern you and the country you are a part of is an integral part of our democratic system. The Metis are a unique people with unique values, and as such very likely would want a specific party in power who can make decisions that are in their best interest. Denying the Metis people the right to vote is like telling them that what they want doesnt matter. Obviously, it is very

understandable why they would want the right to represent themselves, and why they would want to fight for this right if it is not given to them. However, the Metis have nearly always had the right to vote, ever since they elected Louis Riel to parliament in 1873. This is largely because Metis people were not covered in treaties such as the Indian Act, so there were no real grounds for saying they couldnt vote. They Metis people also enjoyed a unique culture as a result of their blended heritage. Much of their artwork combined elements of First Nations and European, as did their music and way of life. Culture and history are integral parts of any society and the Metis are no exception. Almost every culture has unique and special things which make it different from other cultures and these are things which are important and should be recognized. Ignoring these cultural differences is akin to saying their culture is unimportant, and, therefore, so are they. The Metis culture comes largely from their singular combination of European heritage from their fathers, such as fashion or music, and First Nations tradition from their mothers, like traditional beadwork, art and dance. The Metis wanted to have their cultural differences and traditions recognized and respected by the rest of Canada, as their culture is one of the things that defines, distinguishes, and separates them from everybody else. The Metis also had their own language which developed as a combination of Cree, French, Ojibwa, and English, called Michif. Most of the grammar follows the Cree rules for grammar and sentence structure, while the verbs stem mainly from French. There are English and Ojibwa words mixed in as well. 1This came from their mixed heritage, as Metis children may have grown up in a bilingual house due to their mothers being First Nations and their fathers
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Government of Canada Website. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/settlement/kids/021013-2081.10-e.html Accessed December 6, 2012

being European. Like any other group of people, language is an important part of their identity as a people and is something that should be recognized and valued. For instance, Canada is a bilingual country because of its English and French history. If we were to ignore one of these languages and no longer count it as an official language of Canada, it would be ignoring one of the two main people that built the country to what it is today. This would obviously cause a lot of tension, because it would be saying that they, as a group of people, were not important. For a time, Metis children were made fun of and bullied for speaking Michif, and as a result many stopped speaking it altogether. Today, however, many Metis people are proud of their history and culture and speak Michif as a way of showing that they are proud of it. There are many things which contribute to making a group of people special, be it a country, a city, nationality, or heritage. Religious, political, cultural, and language rights are just a few of the things that people need in order to differentiate themselves from everybody else and identify as who they are, rather than just part of the masses. This in mind, it is very understandable why the Metis would want to have these rights respected and recognized, because without this Metis lose much of their personal identity as an important part of Canadas history.

Works Cited Government of Canada Website. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/settlement/kids/0210132081.10-e.html Accessed December 6, 2012 Paquette, Sarah. Unit Review December 5th 2013