| Who are the Metis ? |
| Dragonfly |
| The Metis are the children of the fur trade. Theirs is the culture that arose from the mixing of Chippewa and Cree people of the Great Lakes Region with French, Irish, & Scots engages of the fur companies. Exhibiting traits of both cultures, the Metis were essential cultural and linguistic intermediaries between the world of the white man and that of the Indian. By the 1820's, Metis cart brigades were spending months in Montana hunting buffalo and making pemmican -- the staple of the fur trade in forested regions. By the 1840's the Metis were the largest ethnic group/tribe west of the Mississippi River, with enclaves the entire 500 mile length of the Red River and settlements throughout the west near trading posts. Their distinctive culture emphasized loyalty, education, and the Catholic religion. The products of their cottage industries --Red River Carts, colorful clothing, and resplendent horse and dog gear -- were known throughout the west and earned them the name of the flower bead work people. A failed rebellion for self determination in Manitoba in 1870 and another in Saskatchewan in 1855 -- both led by Louis Riel and Gabrielle Dumont -- caused large numbers of Metis to flee Canada and join their relatives in Montana and North Dakota. By 1890 North Dakota could no longer support their numbers. A large band under the leadership of Thomas Little Shell moved to Montana for land. For 30 years, Cree and their Chippewa relatives under Rocky Boy (stone child) and Little Bear, as well as Little Shell's band, wandered throughout Montana seeking work, starving, freezing, and embarrassed many progressive citizens. As a consequence, Rocky Boy's Reservation was finally created in 1916. But with Cree leaders in charge of enrollment, Little Shell's band and many Chippewa and Metis were excluded. They remain landless and unrecognized to this day. For this reason many towns and cities in Montana have had "moccasin flats" for 80 years and rick, of underground native histories. Recently there has been a significant revival of cultural solidarity among the Metis. Non-Indian/Metis citizens have also been drawn to the long, tragic history of these colorful, often hidden people. (George Oberst - Montana Historical Society - 1997) NOTE: 2006 - and these peoples still remain Landless and unrecognized. |
| I thought about making a lot of pages on this site with in depth information about the Metis people and the story behind the FLAG, the SASH, the RED RIVER CART and much more. There are so many really good sites out there with all this information and more I decided to just list the links here. MORE good links below. |
| Pow Wow info and much more at POWWOWS.com Like Native American Flute Music? Some of the best I have ever listened to at Marina Raye Also good Song Sticks Native Greeting e-cards Spirit is UP |
| LINKS |
