1880 Petitions in Northern Lake Superior

On June 23, 1880, Métis and First Nations in northern Lake Superior submitted a petition as the “Indians and half breeds of the Pic River, Lake Superior,” requesting lands on which they could settle and “better their condition.”

Two weeks later—on July 6, 1880—the nearby “Indians and half-breeds” on Lake Nipigon petitioned for money to pay a schoolteacher. This was followed by a similar petition the next week—July 13, 1880—by the “Indians and half breeds of Lake Helen near the Hudson’s Bay Company Post, at Red Rock, Lake Superior,” requesting both money to pay a schoolteacher as well as for lands on which they could settle.

Each of the 1880 Lake Superior petitions was signed by prominent families of the Northern Lake Superior Historic Métis Community—including members of the de Laronde, Deschamps, Bouchard, and Desmulons families—alongside those of neighbouring First Nations with whom they shared common interests and objectives. 

These petitions highlight the mutual recognition, respect, and allyship historically shown by Métis and First Nations toward one another, and also the collaborative nature of Métis diplomacy and political advocacy that has manifested in many Métis communities sometimes petitioning alongside their non-Métis neighbours when shared interests emerged. 

In these petitions, the Crown identified the petitioning “half-breeds” and “Indians” separately, indicating that, while allied in cause, the Métis and First Nations saw themselves and each other as distinct.

Together, these petitions underscore a long-standing Métis tradition of strategic alliance-building that extends across the Métis Homeland. When the need arose, Métis actively mobilized with First Nations to advance shared interests across cultural lines, such as collective goals in education, land, and community well-being.

See Our Sources

• 1880 Petition of the Indians and Half-Breeds of Lake Helen

• 1880 Petition of the Indians and Half-Breeds of the Reservation of Lake Nipigon

• 1880 Petition of the Indians and Half-Breeds of the Pic River, Lake Superior

• Upper Great Lakes Submission to the MNC Expert Panel

  
  

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