The stories of Métis communities across the Upper Great Lakes are filled not only with strength and resilience but also with the deep generosity shared between families and community members.  Reflecting on her life in A.C. Osborne’s The Migration of Voyageurs from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene in 1828 , Métis matriarch and storyteller Rosette Boucher highlights this generosity as a defining feature of the region’s Métis identity, carried forward by her own family throug

The generosity of Métis people has long contributed to the building of their own Métis communities and others around them from the ground up, such as the construction of the church of The Sacred Heart in Sault Ste. Marie. In 1835, the Métis of Sault Ste. Marie successfully petitioned the Catholic bishop for permission to construct a new church on the north side of the St. Marys River, near their River Lot settlement. As a community, they not only took the initiative to advoca

The Métis Nation of Ontario’s Statement of Prime Purpose is a declaration of Métis values and a vision for contemporary Métis self-government. It memorializes the Métis history, culture, and generosity that have sustained and inspired generations of Métis people in what is now Ontario.  The value of generosity runs deep through Métis communities historically and into the present day. It can be found in the harvester who provides for the larger community through a successful a

Rosette Boucher (née Larammee), born on Drummond Island on December 12, 1815, is a unique and valuable Métis storyteller whose voice continues to resonate today. Boucher is notable as one of only two Métis women whose accounts are featured in A.C. Osborne’s The Migration of Voyageurs from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene in 1828 .  Growing up in a Métis family deeply tied to fur trade travel and military life, Rosette was surrounded by stories and carried them with remarkab

Storytellers have long sustained Métis communities, celebrating the Métis way of life and safeguarding stories to be shared across generations. Non-Métis storytellers who have immersed themselves in community and captured the authentic Métis voices of their members have also contributed meaningfully to this legacy. A.C. Osborne and Christy Ann Simons are two such observers who, despite not being Métis, took great care to document the vibrant Métis lives, relationships, and ex

The practice of Métis storytelling is not merely a connection to the past, but a vibrant, ongoing tradition kept alive by the voices and memories of today's community members. Among these storytellers, Dolores Pinder (née Bussineau) stands out for her dedication to preserving the history of the Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community.  As an advisor, knowledge holder, and lifelong community advocate, Dolores shared stories rooted in her family’s original Métis River Lot hom