The Métis Nation’s collective victory in R. v. Powley on September 19, 2003 was not only a watershed moment in affirming the distinct Métis rights contained in Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution, but was a moment of overwhelming pride for Métis throughout the Métis Nation, from the Upper Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains. After nearly ten years in court, Steve Powley, the Métis harvester at the centre of the case, shared his personal reflections on the deep sense of pride h

September 19 is Powley Day, the anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s unanimous ruling in R. v. Powley on September 19, 2003. Reflecting on his decade-long legal saga, Steve Powley, the proud Métis harvester from the historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community who was at the heart of the case, once famously said: “That’s what it’s for: for my children. It’s not for me anymore. I’m not looking for anything… I didn’t see the bigger picture for all Métis at the time; I won’

On September 12, 1875, the Northwestern Ontario Métis Community secured a place in Canada’s treaty history with the signing of the...

For generations, Crown governments have encountered, recognized, and acknowledged Métis or “Half-Breed” communities in northern Ontario...

After the merger of the North West Company (NWC) and Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) in 1821, many Métis employees across the Homeland were faced with the decision to stay with the Company in its amalgamated form or become independent ‘freemen.’ John Charles Sayer, brother of Henry and Pierre Guillaume Sayer, was one such Métis HBC employee. John Charles had been working with the Company since about 1811. By the time of the merger, he was working as a clerk in the Lac La Pluie (R

Throughout history, Métis across the Homeland have found employment using their fluency in a diverse array of languages. Prominent language-based Métis professions have included interpreters and guides. Many passed their language-based vocations down between generations. Lewis Solomon, a well-known member of the Georgian Bay Métis Community, for example, followed in the footsteps of his father, William, who was an Indian interpreter for the British Government. Like many M