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

The Métis and Anishinaabe communities of Sault Ste. Marie have been long-time allies. Perhaps the most notable example of allyship between the two political groups occurred both during and after the Mica Bay Incident—one of the most important moments in the history of Crown-Indigenous relations in the Upper Great Lakes. Following their collective action at Mica Bay alongside their Métis allies, the Anishinaabek Chiefs Shingwaukonse-ibun and Nebainagoching-ibun advocated f

The Abitibi Inland Métis Community’s distinctive identity and enduring presence has been recognized in numerous official records in both historical and contemporary times. This included recognition within the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples—commonly referred to as RCAP—that was established in 1991 to examine Canada’s ongoing relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. The RCAP final report, delivered in 1996, acknowledged numerous documented histori

For generations, Métis across the Homeland have fought for their distinct rights and recognition as ‘Halfbreeds’. During treaty negotiations, many wrote to the Crown and Indian Agents requesting to be treated as a distinct group, separate from their First Nations neighbours. On August 21, 1850, for example, Hudson’s Bay Company employee John Swanston wrote from Michipicoten to HBC Governor, George Simpson, arguing for acknowledgement of the rights and claims of “Halfbreeds” i

January 27th, 2025, marks the 185th anniversary of the Penetanguishene Petition, through which members of the Georgian Bay Métis Community wrote to the Crown demanding recognition of their distinct political identity and their inclusion in annual present-giving be restored. This petition was the first in a long line of Métis communities using petitions as a form of political advocacy from the Upper Great Lakes westward. These efforts and the Georgian Bay Métis Community fro

The Atkinson-Moore family, originally from Moose Factory, has grown and maintained deep connections throughout the Métis Homeland for generations. After moving from Moose Factory to Red River in 1834, for example, several members of the Moore family—including Métis siblings Sarah Mary, Anne, and Philip, their mother Emma, and their Métis aunt Elizabeth Moore—were all baptized on the same day. While some members of the Moore family, including the recently baptized siblings and