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

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

In 1845, the government opened lands north of Lake Huron for settlement and began negotiating treaties in the region. These newly opened lands included many Métis families’ River Lots along the St. Mary’s River at Sault Ste. Marie. In 1850, the Métis were explicitly excluded from the Robinson treaties. However, during the treaty negotiations, Anishinaabe leaders had advocated for the recognition of Métis rights to their River Lots. This advocacy prompted Treaty Commissione

After years of disrespect and colonial intrusion, the collective Métis and Anishinaabe action at Mica Bay in November 1849 succeeded in forcing the Crown to deal with their shared grievances. The following year, the Crown sent Treaty Commissioner William B. Robinson to Sault Ste. Marie to negotiate a treaty. In a continued act of allyship, Anishinaabek Chiefs Shingwaukonse-ibun and Nebainagoching-ibun advocated for Métis inclusion in the treaty-making process and the setting

From the earliest days of the Métis Nation, Métis communities and their leaders have recognized the value of maintaining a unified voice across the Métis Homeland—from the Upper Great Lakes westward—and have consistently achieved shared victories for all Métis by standing together as one. Early examples of Métis organizing and collective advocacy across geographically distant Métis communities for the shared benefit of all are numerous. In 1816, for instance, Métis from a

For almost two centuries, the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community utilized their own Métis governance, decision-making, and land tenure systems to manage their internal affairs. By the nineteenth century, this distinct Métis community—with its unique way of life—was recognizable and respected by other peoples in the region, namely the Anishinaabek. In 1830, for example, when the British began to exclude the Métis from receiving ‘Indian Presents’, Anishinaabek leader, Chief Shing