1850 Métis Petitioners: The Boissonneau Family

In 1850, the Métis of Sault Ste. Marie petitioned the Crown for the recognition and protection of their River Lots on the St. Marys River following their exclusion from the Robinson-Huron Treaty.

The 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition was signed by members of numerous prominent Métis families in the area, including the Biron, Cadotte, Lesage, Nolin, Sayer, and Labatte families. Seven members of the Métis Boissonneau family were also among the 1850 Petition’s fifty-five signatories.

At the time of the Robinson-Huron Treaty, Joseph Boissonneau Sr. and his eldest son, Joseph Jr., held adjacent River Lots along the St. Marys River, which, for several decades, had formed the customary land tenure system at the heart of their vibrant and connected Métis community. 

Understanding that the Robinson-Huron Treaty’s signing would soon bring an influx of new settlers from Ontario to the area, the Boissonneaus mobilized alongside their community to seek government protection for their family’s River Lots following Treaty Commissioner William B. Robinson’s recognition that the Métis were in “free and full possession” of their lands and advice to petition the government for their formal recognition.

Emphasizing that they had been “born upon the soil” which they had “held, occupied and cultivated the land, wherein they now reside for very many years,” Joseph Boissonneau Sr., Joseph Boissonneau Jr., and his siblings, Narcisse, Magloire, Francois, Theophile, and Emerie Boissonneau, all added their names to the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition.

Despite their collective efforts, as well as allied advocacy by local Anishinaabek Chiefs, the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition’s calls for recognition and justice were ultimately ignored. Unable to secure official government-recognized title to their family’s customary lands, many of the Métis families—including the Boissonneaus—were soon forced off their River Lots and were displaced. 

In spite of their displacement and its accompanying disruptions to their traditional way of life, the Boissonneaus and their fellow River Lot families never forgot Treaty Commissioner Robinson’s words or “little doubt that the Government would do them justice.” Today, 175 years later, their proud Métis legacy and continued calls for justice continue.

See Our Sources

• 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition

• Alexander Vidal’s Survey Map

• Boissonneau Family Vignette

• Boissonneau Family VMFL

• Excerpts from Robinson’s Report to Colonel Bruce

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