Fort William, on the north shore of Lake Superior, became an important gathering location within the historic fur trade when the North West Company relocated their Lake Superior district headquarters there in 1803. Annual gatherings at Fort William brought together North West Company employees from across its vast geographic network. These gatherings at Fort William became known as the ‘Great Rendezvous’. The Rendezvous was an important part of the annual fur trade cycle. It

Métis in the Nipigon area have maintained a deep sense of their distinct Métis identity and community, organizing and acting collectively across many generations. In 1880, for example, Métis in the Nipigon area signed several petitions in which they identified themselves as “half-breeds”, distinct from their First Nations relatives and neighbours. The first petition, submitted by the “Indians and half breeds of the Pic River,” requested reserve lands. Another petition fro

For generations, family fishing—including commercial fishing—has been an important component of the Upper Great Lakes’ Northern Lake Superior Historic Métis Community’s traditional Métis way of life, including for the numerous Métis families living around Lake Nipigon. The Nipigon-area’s prominent Métis de Laronde family, for example, has practiced a Métis way of life rooted in the region’s lands and waters for generations. The de Laronde’s fishing traditions are immortalized

Métis across the Homeland relied on fishing for sustenance throughout the year. Not only did fishing provide food to Métis communities, but it was also relied upon by many as an essential economic practice. During the winter months, Métis along Northern Lake Superior had to be creative if they were going to continue fishing on the frozen lakes and waterways. One common practice was ice spearfishing. In January 1840, for instance, an ice spear fishery in Michipicoten Bay yiel

While harvesting for food and furs occurred throughout the year around Northern Lake Superior, it took expert knowledge of the waters and lands to harvest throughout the notoriously harsh winters—knowledge that Métis, born and raised in the region, were well-equipped with. For instance, the 1858 Michipicoten post journal identifies six out of the post’s nine post harvesters as Métis. Like many fur trade posts, Michipicoten relied heavily on skilled Métis harvesters to conduc

On July 7, 2004, the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources signed the first-ever negotiated agreement recognizing Métis harvesting rights anywhere in the Métis homeland. The interim harvesting agreement contained a four-point recognition framework, intended to support the implementation of the Supreme Court of Canada’s unanimous decision in R. v. Powley beyond the historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community, where credible Métis rights ass