Métis in the Nipigon area have maintained a deep sense of their distinct Métis identity and community, organizing and acting collectively across many generations.
In 1880, for example, Métis in the Nipigon area signed several petitions in which they identified themselves as “half-breeds”, distinct from their First Nations relatives and neighbours.
The first petition, submitted by the “Indians and half breeds of the Pic River,” requested reserve lands. Another petition from the “Indians and half-breeds of the reservation of Lake Nipigon” asked for money to pay a schoolteacher. The following week, “Indians and half breeds of Lake Helen” also petitioned for money to pay a schoolteacher and requested reserve land.
Many of the Métis families in Nipigon also had ties to other Métis communities. Louis Denys de Laronde, for example, served as postmaster at several trading posts, including Albany, Long Lac, and Mississauge to the east of Sault Ste Marie.
In 1884, Henry de Laronde was celebrated in Nipigon for his role in purchasing a bell for the Mission du Lac Helene, which the church register noted occurred in “enprésence d’une nombreuse assemblée d’Indiens et de Métis” (in the presence of a large assembly of Indians and Métis).
The Métis in this region have continued organizing, asserting their unique identity and rights, over many generations. The community’s important contributions were recognized, among other places, in the Métis National Council’s August 2001 State of the Métis Nation Report:
“For example ... 1965: The Lake Nipigon Métis Association was formed by Métis in northwestern Ontario which acted as the impetus for the public re-emergence of the Métis nation’s historic communities within Ontario. These historic communities eventually come together to collectively form the Métis Nation of Ontario in 199[3].”