 The
Metis are recognized as one of Canada’s
Aboriginal Peoples in the constitution.
 However, this has not always been so; the
Metis people have fought long and hard for
their collective rights.
 The
Metis people
originated from unions
between Canada’s First
Nations people and
European explorers and
fur traders.
 The were extremely
valuable to Canada as
skilled hunters as well as
a way to bridge the gap
between First Nations
and European culture.
 As
the Canadian Government expanded
west, they tried to take over land that the
Metis had been living on for years.
 They did not worry about making
agreements with the Metis people
because they did not consider them a
part of Canada’s First Nations people.
 This prompted Metis people, led by Louis
Riel to stand up for their rights.
 Louis
Riel stood up for
the Metis people and
helped establish the
province of Manitoba.
 The Manitoba Act gave
the Metis people the
rights to their land and
made Manitoba a
bilingual province.
 Many
Metis people living
in Saskatchewan felt
threatened as the railway
and settlers moved into
their territory.
 Louis Riel once again led
another rebellion against
the Canadian Govt, this
time violent.
 http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=JvxKHSXjnZ8
 After
being taken into custody, Riel was
tried and found guilty:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1Z
qCWDdQ0
 Although Riel was hung for treason, he is
seen as an important part of Canada’s
history and a champion of Metis rights.
 In
1938 the
government finally
set aside 12
settlements for the
Metis people, the
first time in history
they had provided
land for the Metis.
 The
were turned
over to the Metis
permanently in
1990.
 The
Metis are now
formally recognized as
one of Canada’s founding
peoples, with collective
rights protected by the
constitution.
 In 2003 the Supreme
Court ruled that the Metis
could hunt and fish for
food without licenses as
one of Canada’s
Aboriginal Peoples.