Full Description
We think of Métis as having exclusively Prairie roots. Quebec doesn't recognize a historical Métis community, and the Métis National Council contests the existence of any Métis east of Ontario. Quebec residents who seek recognition as Métis under the Canadian Constitution therefore face an uphill legal and political battle. Who is right?
Bois-Brûlés examines archival and ethnographic evidence to piece together a riveting history of Métis in the Outaouais region. Scottish and French-Canadian fur traders and Indigenous women established themselves with their Bois-Brûlé children in the unsurveyed lands of western Quebec in the early nineteenth century. As the fur trade declined, these communities remained.
This controversial work, previously available only in French, challenges head-on two powerful nationalisms - Métis and Québécois - that see Quebec Métis as "race-shifting" individuals. The authors provide a nuanced analysis of the historical basis for a distinctly Métis identity that can be traced all the way to today.
Contents
Foreword / Michel Noël
A Note for Readers
Introduction
Part 1: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations
1 Studying Métis Identities
2 Métis Identities and Ethnonyms
Part 2: The Métis Presence in the Outaouais Region
3 The Outaouais Fur Trade of the Nineteenth Century
4 Shared Cultural Traits of the Bois-Brûlés
5 Algonquin Half-Breeds, Priests, and the Métis Collectivity
Part 3: Métis of the Gatineau Valley - Rivière Désert, Lac-Sainte-Marie, and Lac des Sables
6 Crowded Crossroads
7 Comparing Lac-Sainte-Marie and Sault Ste. Marie
8 Louis Riel and the McGregors of the Lièvre
Part 4: Historical Continuity and Contemporary Concerns
9 A New Era: The Creation of the Maniwaki Reserve
10 Petitions and Politics: The Maniwaki Reserve and the Forest Industry
11 The Great Awakening: Outaouais Métis Voices, 1969-2017
Conclusion: Toward Recognition?
Appendix: Principal Métis Families of the Gatineau
Notes; Works Cited; Index
