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

In 1850, the Métis community at Sault Ste. Marie stood together to protect their River Lots from settler encroachment, following the Robinson-Huron Treaty, by signing the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition. Michel (Michael) Labatte was among the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition’s signatories, on behalf of his Métis River Lot family. Born in 1814 on the American side of Sault Ste. Marie, Michael was the son of Métis War of 1812 veteran Louis George Labatte and Louisa Cad

In 1850, the Métis of Sault Ste. Marie petitioned the Crown for the recognition and protection of their River Lots on the St. Marys River following their exclusion from the Robinson-Huron Treaty. The 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition was signed by members of numerous prominent Métis families in the area, including the Biron, Cadotte, Lesage, Nolin, Sayer, and Labatte families. Seven members of the Métis Boissonneau family were also among the 1850 Petition’s fifty-five sign

On October 21, 1850, Treaty Commissioner William B. Robinson formally submitted a petition to the Governor General, Lord Elgin, on behalf of the Métis of Sault Ste. Marie. Alongside the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition, Commissioner Robinson provided a handwritten cover letter advocating for its just implementation, stating: “I will thank you to lay the accompanying paper before His Excellency the Governor General. They are those to which I alluded in conversation with His Exc