Threading the Needle at 90

Métis across the Homeland have consistently demonstrated pride through significant accomplishments and simple everyday actions. Many Métis individuals have shared stories that reflect these points of pride in contributions to their Métis family and community life.

Elizabeth Longlade (née Dusome) was one such Métis matriarch from the Georgian Bay Métis Community, centred at Penetanguishene, in the Upper Great Lakes, who shared her life’s story and points of quiet personal pride in a 1942 Toronto Star interview on the eve of

her 95^th birthday.

Among her many accomplishments, in her interview, Elizabeth proudly shared that, “She was able to thread the needle of her own sewing machine until four years ago”—when she was 90 years old.

Elizabeth's seemingly simple act of threading her own needle at ninety underscores her independence, strength, and unwavering dedication to caring for her loved ones. As a proud Métis matriarch, she also provided for her family and community through her culinary skills, steadfast work ethic, and strong kinship ties with other Métis families in the Upper Great Lakes. 

The Métis of the Upper Great Lakes remain firmly bound by pride, tradition, and everyday skills—like those of Elizabeth Longlade—that continue to connect people and families across generations.

See Our Sources

• Daughter of Red River Native, Toronto Star, May 8, 1942

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