Métis Marriages: Sayer & Biron

In 1847, Michel Toussaint Sayer married Marguerite Biron, uniting two prominent and proud Métis families within the historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community.

Michel Toussaint Sayer was born around 1821 in Red River to Henry R. Sayer and Mary Cameron. While Michel Toussaint was a child, their family returned to the Upper Great Lakes where his father’s family was from. As an adult, Michel Toussaint worked as a postmaster for the Hudson’s Bay Company and, following his marriage to Marguerite, remained a committed advocate for Métis rights around Sault Ste. Marie, signing the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Halfbreed Petition alongside other members of his Métis community.

Marguerite Biron, born in 1828 in Sault Ste. Marie, was the daughter of Métis community members Marie Anne Cadotte and Francois Xavier Biron. Community life remained central to her upbringing, a value shared by her brother Joachim, who would go on to sign the 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Halfbreed Petition alongside her husband, Michel.

Marguerite and Michel’s union was witnessed by members of their extended Métis family and kinship network, including Marguerite’s mother Marie Anne Cadotte, her brother Joachim Biron, and fellow 1850 Sault Ste. Marie Halfbreed Petition signatory, Michael Labatte, reflecting the strong relationships and support that continued to further the strength of their Métis family and community.

Together, Michel and Marguerite built a large Métis family, raising eleven children in Sault Ste. Marie. Their household remained firmly rooted in their Métis community, a legacy carried forward by their children, including their eldest son Charles, whose own marriage was witnessed by fellow Métis community members, continuing a tradition of kinship, connection, and collective support.

See Our Sources

• Sayer Family VMFL

• Cadotte Family VMFL

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