Métis Generosity: A Prime Purpose

The Métis Nation of Ontario’s Statement of Prime Purpose is a declaration of Métis values and a vision for contemporary Métis self-government. It memorializes the Métis history, culture, and generosity that have sustained and inspired generations of Métis people in what is now Ontario. 

The value of generosity runs deep through Métis communities historically and into the present day. It can be found in the harvester who provides for the larger community through a successful and abundant harvest, in the volunteers who give their time and resources to build a church, or in the smaller, day-to-day acts of kindness that have bound Métis communities together for generations. 

More than a cherished trait, generosity is a lived practice central to the Métis way of life. For this reason, it is explicitly included as a founding value when describing Who We Are As A Métis People in the MNO’s Statement of Prime Purpose:

“The strength of our society is based on democracy, freedom, fairness, equality, generosity, justice and the customary and written law of our people.” 

Similarly, the Métis Nation of Ontario’s founding Aims and Objectives enshrine the aspiration of continuing to generously give to one another, “to provide care and support necessary to meet the fundamental needs of the citizens of the Métis Nation.”

Listed alongside principles such as justice, freedom, and fairness, generosity remains a guiding value visible on the Métis Nation of Ontario’s largest public stages and in the smallest, everyday moments of Métis citizens and families. Today, generosity continues to shine within historic Métis communities and through Métis people living across Ontario.

See Our Sources

• Statement of Prime Purpose of The Métis Nation of Ontario

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