Métis in Canada: History, Identity, Law and Politics

by Christopher Adams (Editor), Gregg Dahl (Editor), Ian Peach (Editor), Gloria Bell (Contribution by), Glen Campbell (Contribution by)

Overview

These twelve essays constitute a groundbreaking volume of new work prepared by leading scholars in the fields of history, anthropology, constitutional law, political science, and sociology, who identify the many facets of what it means to be Métis in Canada today. After the Powley decision in 2003, Métis peoples were no longer conceptually limited to the historical boundaries of the fur trade in Canada. Key ideas explored in this collection include identity, rights, and issues of governance, politics, and economics. The book will be of great interest to scholars in political science and Indigenous studies, the legal community, public administrators, government policy advisors, and people seeking to better understand the Métis past and present. Contributors: Christopher Adams, Gloria Jane Bell, Glen Campbell, Gregg Dahl, Janique Dubois, Tom Flanagan, Liam J. Haggarty, Laura-Lee Kearns, Darren O'Toole, Jeremy Patzer, Ian Peach, Siomonn P. Pulla, Kelly L. Saunders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780888646408
Publisher:	University of Alberta Press
Publication date:	05/15/2013
Pages:	560
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Christopher Adams was Vice President at Probe Research where he directed an annual survey on Indigenous peoples in Manitoba. He holds two adjunct professor appointments and is currently the Rector of St. Paul's College at the University of Manitoba. He lives in Winnipeg. Gregg Dahl had a long career in policy analysis for provincial, territorial, and federal governments. He was a proud descendant of a Half-breed family that lived in St. Paul’s parish in the Red River Settlement. Ian Peach, formerly Dean of Law at the University of New Brunswick, is currently a consultant with KTA Inc. He has had an extensive career with federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as in academia and the private sector. He lives in Fredericton.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part 1 Identity

1 Oscillating Identities 3

Re-presentations of Métis in the Great Lakes Area in the Nineteenth Century Gloria Jane Bell

2 (Re)claiming Métis Women Identities 59

Three Stories and the Storyteller Laura-Lee Kearns

3 A Half-breed's Perspective on Being Métis Gregg Dahl 93

Part 2 History

4 From Entity to Identity to Nation 143

The Ethnogenesis of the Wusakodewinini vag (Bois-Brûlé) Reconsidered Darren O'toole

5 Métis Economics 205

Sharing and Exchange in Northwest Saskatchewan Liam J. Haggarty

6 Newly Discovered Writings of Louis Riel Glen Campbell Tom Flanagan 249

Part 3 Law

7 The Long, Slow Road to Recognizing Métis Rights 279

Métis Aboriginal Rights Jurisprudence in Canada Ian Peach

8 Even When We're Winning, Are We Losing? 307

Métis Rights in Canadian Courts Jeremy Patzer

Part 4 Politics

9 No Other Weapon 339

Métis Political Organization and Governance in Canada Kelly L. Saunders

10 Regional Nationalism or National Mobilization? 397

A Brief Social History of the Development of Métis Political Organization in Canada, 1815-2011 Siomonn P. Pulla

11 From Service Providers to Decision Makers 433

Building a Métis Government in Saskatchewan Janique Dubois

12 Government Relations and Métis People 463

Using Interest Group Strategies Christopher Adams

Conclusion 491

"Métis" as a Unique, Diverse, Complex and Contingent Concept in Canada

Contributors 497

Index 501

Editorial Reviews

#3 on McNally Robinson's Bestsellers list (Paperback Non-Fiction) for the week of June 9, 2013
Everyone knows what is meant by the term Métis, and the people themselves are defined exactly by what they are not. The editors put it succinctly: 'About the only elements that tie this diversity together are the facts of the Métis peoples' distinctiveness - from other Indigenous peoples and from the settlers - and their constitutional recognition as rights-bearing, indigenous peoples in Canada.' This University of Alberta Press selection chronicles the unique Métis contribution to the Canadian story. Holly Doan, Blacklock's Reporter, November 9, 2013 [Full review at http://bit.ly/1aRm4Vf]
"The 12 multidisciplinary essays here arose out of consideration of a key decision by the Supreme Court of Canada (R. v. Powley) that defined a ten-step test for Métis rights; how these rights play out in relation to that decision is elaborated in the four key sections implied in the title. There has not been a book this broad and deep concerning the Métis in over 20 years in Canada, so this provides a timely, informative grappling with recognition and affirmation of the Métis and their Aboriginal rights. Summing Up: Essential. All academic levels/libraries." G. Bruyere, Laurentian University, CHOICE Magazine, December 2013
"...these essays, by and large, are both informative and entertaining to read. The new scholars featured in this volume interrogate the sources with intelligence and vigor, and the result is a provocative and fresh portrayal of the Métis experience in Canada." Heather Devine, Western Historical Quarterly, Summer 2014
"The strong visual hierarchy is a highlight of this books’ interior typography, which has a refined, accomplished look to it. Overall, the book projects a quiet yet confident design."
"...the authors share the goal of working towards a more complex and nuanced understanding of 'Métis.' By looking at the Métis from a variety of perspectives, the chapters will certainly stimulate reflection and discussion.... [T]he themes the book examines will be of interest to scholars of Aboriginal studies across Canada."—BC Studies
"[Métis in Canada] brings together a vastly diverse collection of essays, reflective of the multifaceted nature of the debates relating to Métis identifiy in Canada... Given the breadth of perspectives presented by the contributors, along with the text's overall contribution to discussions of Indigenous identity in Canada, it comes as no surprise that the editors are experts in Aboriginal policy.... Taken together, [Métis in Canada and "Métis": Race, Recognition, and the Struggle for Indigenous Peoplehood] shed new light on the intricacies surrounding not only intracommunity conceptions of Métis identify in Canada, but also longstanding, often problematic constructions of mixed-lineage and, by extension, Indigenous identities in alterity."—Sarah MacKenzie, Canadian Literature
"The volume is notable for its efforts to capture the varied work that scholars across different disciplines are currently undertaking in the Metis past and present."—Michel Hogue, Histoire Sociale / Social History

From the Publisher