John Saunders: Métis Storyteller

John Saunders was a Métis storyteller from the Abitibi Inland Métis Community, born in 1845 at Matawagamingue—a small inland Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) post. In his 1867 autobiography, John documented stories from his upbringing and early career, casting light on both his Métis community and the fur trade world within which he grew up. 

With his Métis family, John spent his early years immersed in the fur trade world, watching his father Valentine practice essential traditional skills like hunting, fishing, trapping, and trading. John’s life changed dramatically at the age of nine when he undertook an extraordinary 500-mile journey to attend school in Moose Factory. There, he received both the formal education and life experiences that would initially inspire his autobiography.

John's autobiography is a testament to a life of adventure, challenge, movement, and growth. More profoundly, it illustrates his conviction that his greatest pride lay not in specific achievements but in the journey as a whole. These stories not only honour his life and legacy but also illuminate the historic Abitibi Inland Métis Community. 

As he neared the end of his writing, John contemplated the significance and impact of the life story he had chronicled: “I have now almost come to the end of my autobiography. But the nearer I come to the end, the more important the events seem through which I have been led.” 

John’s storytelling is a powerful example of the impact an individual can have. His words not only pay tribute to the generations past but also create a path for future storytellers to continue sharing, remembering, and advancing Métis stories in their own distinct voices.

See Our Sources

• John Saunders, “My Autobiography, July 18, 1876” General Synod Archives

• Saunders Family Vignette

• Saunders-Leblanc VMFL Document

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