Métis “in free and full possession of their lands”

On September 9, 1850, during negotiations for the Robinson-Huron Treaty, Crown Treaty Commissioner William B. Robinson confirmed what was already well known in the Upper Great Lakes: the Métis of Sault Ste. Marie were in “free and full possession of their lands on which they now reside.”

This acknowledgment reflected both the lived reality of the Métis community—whose distinct way of life was rooted in their traditional River Lot homes along the St. Mary’s River—and also how external parties, including Crown governments and neighbouring First Nations, understood and respected the Métis community in the Sault Ste. Marie area.

Robinson’s acknowledgement echoed those of Anishinaabek leaders, including Shingwaukonse-ibun and Nebainagoching-ibun, who submitted a petition a month after the Robinson-Huron Treaty’s signing which continued to recognize the Métis of Sault Ste. Marie as “equally the rightful and just owners” of their lands, calling upon the Crown to see them “protected in their lands and properties.” Their words underscored the shared understanding that the Métis were a distinct people with deep, legitimate ties to the territory.

Robinson’s promise, made while he acted as the Crown’s Treaty Commissioner, was never fulfilled. One hundred and seventy-five years later the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community continues to remember Treaty Commissioner Robinson’s words and call for their overdue implementation.

See Our Sources

• Treaty Commissioner William B. Robinson’s Diary, 1850

• 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Petition

• Excerpts from Robinson’s Report to Colonel Bruce

Mini Word Search

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