1850 Métis Petitioners: Michael Labatte

In 1850, the Métis community at Sault Ste. Marie stood together to protect their River Lots from settler encroachment, following the Robinson-Huron Treaty, by signing the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition. Michel (Michael) Labatte was among the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition’s signatories, on behalf of his Métis River Lot family.

Born in 1814 on the American side of Sault Ste. Marie, Michael was the son of Métis War of 1812 veteran Louis George Labatte and Louisa Cadotte, whose family and community relocated to Penetanguishene in 1828 after the British ceded Drummond Island to the Americans. 

After reestablishing their Métis family and community in Penetanguishene, both Michael and Louis George Labatte signed the 1840 Penetanguishene Métis Petition advocating for their Métis community’s ongoing inclusion in the British diplomatic practice of present-giving, which they understood their Métis relatives around Sault Ste. Marie to still be receiving.

Despite his family’s relocation in 1828, Michael maintained strong kinship and political connections to both Penetanguishene and Sault Ste. Marie throughout his life. Working as a Métis mail carrier, he served as a vital link between the two communities, regularly traversing over 300 miles on snowshoes and dog sled through harsh Upper Great Lakes winters. 

By 1845, Michael Labatte was living on a Métis River Lot in Sault Ste. Marie. Following the signing of the 1850 Robinson-Huron Treaty, Michael joined his relatives and neighbours in petitioning the Crown to protect their Métis River Lot homes and way of life from an impending influx of Ontario settlers, adding his name to the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition. 

When the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Métis Petition went unanswered, like the one he had signed in 1840, Michael Labatte returned to southern Georgian Bay, living near Penetanguishene until his death in 1902. 

Although his community’s plea was ultimately ignored—and remains so 175 years later—Michael Labatte’s life and legacy stand as a testament to the resilience, mobility, and enduring connections of the Upper Great Lakes Métis that continue to this day.

See Our Sources

• 1850 Métis Petition from Sault Ste. Marie

• Alexander Vidal’s Survey Map

• Penetanguishene Halfbreed Petition, 27 January 1840

• The Migration of Voyageurs from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene in 1828

Mini Word Search

Have fun with the facts by completing today's mini word search.