View the world of the Metis online

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Information about the Metis people is now just a mouse click away, thanks to the Virtual Museum of Metis History and Culture. The new Web site was created by the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research, in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan's division of multi-media and technology and Saskatchewan Culture.

The project has received funding from the federal and provincial governments and from the Canada Council for the Arts. The money will cover the cost of five years of operation of the online museum.

The information on the virtual museum site represents years of research into Metis history and culture, and many contributions from the Metis community.

The virtual museum is divided into six categories-Indigenous Voices, Metis Celebration, Our Proud Heritage, Artistic Expression, a discussion forum, and a learning resources section.

Through video clips of people speaking the Michif language, gathered from hundreds of interviews, the Indigenous Voices section will give visitors to the site a glimpse at how the Metis people communicate. In the Metis Celebration segment the music, dance and storytelling of the Metis are highlighted through video clips of community events and performances, interviews with Metis performing artists, and articles about all aspects of Metis celebrations.

The Our Proud Heritage section features oral histories. These histories are catalogued in alphabetical order, with the majority in transcript form, and some presented in video format. This section also includes a collection of photographs, and a selection of maps detailing a wide variety of topics, from the distribution of naturally occurring northern wild rice to archeological records of Metis wintering sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan. A large number of documents relating to the history of Metis resistance, Metis communities, and Metis involvement in the world wars can also be found in the section.

The Artistic Expression portion of the virtual museum examines both traditional and contemporary art forms of the Metis people, including beadwork, quillwork, embroidery and moose hair tufting and the art behind the creation of traditional Metis clothing items.

In the discussion forum, called Moccasin Telegraph, visitors to the Web site can access a long list of links to other Metis-related Web sites, or get involved in online forums on a variety of issues.

The learning resources section includes a collection of essays, as well as access to a number of educational resources produced by the Gabriel Dumont Institute.

Cheryl Troupe, curriculum developer with the institute's publishing department said the series of essays available on the virtual museum site will be beneficial not only for the general public but also for educators to use in their classrooms.

The Web site will be officially launched at the beginning of September, said Troupe. But that doesn't mean work compiling information is completed. Work is still being done in going out to communities and gathering information and artifacts to include in the museum, and anyone wanting to contribute is welcome to do so.

"For the general public, if they want to donate photographs or further information on the culture, they can send that information to us. We want to get a wide selection of resources online," Troupe said.

The Virtual Museum of Metis History and Culture can be found online at www.metismuseum.ca.