Metis Essay

Throughout Canadian history, the Métis have struggled to gain recognition as a distinct people, particularly from the Canadian government. Often, they were described as being Métis only by virtue of their mixed ancestry, with their own unique identities being ignored. This was seen by many as a sign of impurity, and the Metis were treated negatively as a result. The Canadian government did not recognize the rights of the Métis; rather, the government legislated over the Métis as Indians when it was convenient to do so, or classified them as distinct from Indians when it was more advantageous. This proved to be extremely problematic. At last, in 1982, Métis rights were recognized under section 35 of the Constitution Act. However, as stated
In Powley, the Court states that the term “Metis” does not apply to everyone who has mixed Indian and European heritage; “rather, it refers to distinctive peoples who, in addition to their mixed ancestry, developed their own customs, way of life, and recognizable group identity separate from their Indian or Inuit and European forebears.” The Court goes on to say that what gives the Metis their own identity is the shared “experience of having forged a new culture and a distinctive group identity from their Indian or Inuit and European roots.” While the Court here tries to avoid reducing Metis people to their mixed ancestry, this ancestry is still named as a defining feature; the customs, way of life, and group identity are only recognized insofar as that mixedness is present. According to Chris Andersen, understanding the Metis in terms of their mixed heritage is problematic because it “emphasizes narrowly construed strands of pre- or early-contact origins rooted in biology rather than more formal political relationships (such as treaties)” while also working to reduce the “complexity of that indigeneity to these biologically based