Metis Communities of Canada - 24"x36"
Métis refers to any person or People who are descended from the intermarriage of First Nations or Inuit and Europeans. Most Métis are encompassed within the Métis Nations, an organization that covers 5 provinces. However, there are also communities not affiliated with this organization spread throughout Canada. There are roughly 600,000 people who identify or are identified as Métis . Since 1982, Métis in Canada have been recognized as a distinct Indigenous people under the Constitution Act of 1982 .
Métis communities across Canada are divided very differently from province to province. For example, in Manitoba there are 135 "community locals" , which are scattered throughout the six regions of the province. In Alberta there are recognized Métis territories. These Alberta communities are called "settlements." In British Columbia, communities are divided into "associations." In Northwest Territories, these are "councils."
The NunatuKavummiut of Newfoundland are direct descendants of one Labrador Inuit group, but because of intermarriage they are now distinghusihed as their own Métis people. This is different than most other Métis communities across Canada, which are comprised of descendants of multiple historic First Nations.
It must be noted that there has been a rise in claims of Métis heritage in recent years, especially by groups in the Eastern part of Canada. Some of these claims are disputed by other Metis and Indigenous groups throughout Canada. For purposes of not perpetuating potentially-incorrect information, this map seeks to display historical communities or those with direct ties to historical First Nations & Inuit communities. Whether or not some of these communities are legitimate, the fact remains that many people possess First Nations & Inuit ancestry, regardless of their status.
The Métis are a proud people, forged out of the clash of cultures and arrival of Europeans . They are determined to exist into the future as a distinct people with their own cultures.
