THE MÉTIS FLEE WESTWARD
The Prairies, 1870-1896
After the Red River Rebellion…
• The future looked bright for the Métis
– However, the promise soon dimmed
• Many Métis left their original territory near the
Red River
– Scattered across the Prairies
• Throughout the 1870’s the Métis continued to
feel threatened by many forces
Transition not smooth…
• MacDonald ordered troops into area to “keep the
peace”
– However, troops didn’t act as peace agents
– Métis brutalized
• Many died b/c of beatings
• Soldiers not punished
Land ownership
• Not straight forward
• All settlers in MB required to have scrip
– Gain title to the land
– Scrip: piece of paper similar to money
– 2 kinds issued to Métis
• Money scrip: value of $160 ($1 per acre of land)
– Convertible to cash (up to $160)
• Land scrip: entitled the person to exchange scrip for a
homesteaders ¼ section of land grant
Problems…
• Land speculators arrived in Red River Valley
• Bought up almost all the scrip from those that
held it
– Most Métis didn’t understand value of scrip
• Traditional econ. Didn’t involve money or deeds
• Speculators used scrip as collateral for bank loans
– More investment capital
• Government of MB……….(will be revealed later)…..
Results…
• Early 1870’s: many Métis left MB
• Gravitated to the Northwest
• Tried to recreate the culture they enjoyed in Red
River before 1869
• Did the Red River Rebellion improve the Métis
situation at all?
Scrip funtivity!
• Métis with scrip
– 1 scrip, worth $160 (160 acres of land)
• Land speculator with “money”
– You only have $350 to spend on scrip
• Neither side can pool resources
• No declarations of war!
Land scrip: what did the MB
government do?
• Government of Manitoba often
threatened Métis with imprisonment
if they didn’t turn over scrip to the
land speculators
Manitoba Act
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Passed in 1870
Welcome by Métis
Métis made up majority of people in the province
Act made French and English official languages of
MB
• 2 education systems: Protestant and Roman
Catholic
• 1.4 million acres of land reserved for Métis
Manitoba Act group activity
• As a group, skim through the Manitoba Act (READ
SECTIONS 31 AND 32)
– Make notes about promises made to Métis in the act
• Individually, read the article “Métis celebrate
historic Supreme Court land ruling”
– Discuss the article as a group
• How did the Canadian government go back on its
promises?
• What impact did this have on the Métis?
• How have things now changed for the Métis?