Métis across the Homeland love dancing and having a good time. Kitchen parties and “half breed balls” filled with music, food, and dancing are an important part of Métis culture—historically and today. These legendary parties were often reported by non-Métis visitors to communities. In 1846, for example, William Cullen Bryant, an American poet and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post, visited Sault Ste. Marie.  He wrote about the lively Métis parties and love of danc

In 1942, at the age of 94, Métis matriarch Elizabeth Longlade (née Dusome) shared stories from her remarkable life, which were captured in a Toronto Star  article. Although brief, the article recounts Elizabeth’s reflections, revealing her family’s experiences spanning both generations and geography. The article was published at the height of the Second World War. For Elizabeth, these seemingly faraway global events were deeply personal, as several of her grandchildren were a

Loyalty to family has long been a foundational value for Métis in the Upper Great Lakes, including the Georgian Bay Métis Community, both before and after its relocation from Drummond Island in 1828. This observation was made by many, including A.C. Osbourne, who wrote about the community’s Métis families in 1902: “Fidelity, however, was a marked characteristic among them … This also explains the apparent anomaly of numerous couples, with large families … ”  Georgian Bay Méti

Through their strength, resilience, and ingenuity, Métis matriarchs have preserved and protected their families and communities for generations.   During the influenza crisis at the turn of the 20 th  century, for example, Elizabeth Longlade (née Dusome) demonstrated her care and dedication by using her professional cooking skills to safeguard her loved ones in Penetanguishene.  A 1942 Toronto Star  article shared Elizabeth’s simple immunity-boosting recipe, crafted during th

Métis across the Homeland have consistently demonstrated pride through significant accomplishments and simple everyday actions. Many Métis individuals have shared stories that reflect these points of pride in contributions to their Métis family and community life. Elizabeth Longlade (née Dusome) was one such Métis matriarch from the Georgian Bay Métis Community, centred at Penetanguishene, in the Upper Great Lakes, who shared her life’s story and points of quiet personal prid

Born in 1847, Elizabeth Longlade (née Dusome) was a proud Métis matriarch whose strength and personality shone through in the everyday moments of her life. Her story, shared in a 1942 interview with the Toronto Star , captures her memories, determination, and independence. Elizabeth married Charles Longlade in Penetanguishene in 1866, 76 years prior to the article's publication. Together, they built a life rooted in family and hard work. For decades, Elizabeth worked alongsid