Innovative and colourful tradition: Metis cultural heritage still strong

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Canada boasts many distinct and identifiable aboriginal groups. One group, the Metis, were created from two separate groups of people right here on Canadian soil.

The Metis are politically, socially and culturally distinct and their presence cannot be denied. Often the very term Metis draws associations with cultural concepts such as the Red River cart and the Red River Jig, but there is a lot more to Metis culture than that.

It is through cultural identity that Metis nationalism came to the fore in the early 1800s. That nationalism has persisted and Metis people continue to endear themselves to a cross cultural heritage unique to Canada.

It is not difficult to understand why the Metis are referred to as a nomadic people. If not at the end of a paddle, they were to be found on snowshoes, along a trapline, out on a buffalo hunt, fishing the rivers and lakes, tapping trees for maple syrup, or picking Seneca roots. It was an existence which demanded that they be highly mobile.

With the expansion of European civilization in western Canada, the Metis became very active in the fur trade, salt mining and making limestone in present-day Manitoba, labouring as voyageurs, provisioners and clerks at trading posts, or serving as interpreters and guides.

The culture of the Metis resulted from the blending of two differing cultures, that of the Indian and the European. Elements borrowed from both cultures contributed to the development of a definitive Metis nation.

For example, Indian leathers combined with European beads and tailoring resulted in utilitarian, yet fashionable, clothing. And, Indian expertise at hunting and trapping coupled with European business sense led to more knowledgeable business dealings when the Metis sold their fur pelts to trade companies.

Also prominent in the world of the Metis were the sash, fiddle, jig, York boat and Red River cart. While recognizing that these are not the only pillars of Metis culture, the following is a brief description of the role these things played in Metis society.

The Sash

There were many variations of the sash, commonly referred to as "ceintures fleches" or "arrow sash." Besides the arrow sash, there was the flame, fine, Assomption, and other types of sashes. The mass production of them in Canada occurred at L'Assomption, Quebec after the mid-1700s.

At first, the sash was manufactured for fur traders of the North West Company which recruited its voyageurs at L'Assomption. Although the names 'arrow' and 'Assomption' prevailed most of the time, these kinds of sashes had actually disappeared, almost totally, while the flame sash was the one that continued to dominate the scene.

In their actual production, sashes were braded (as were garters) or finger woven on a loom. Some were more than 15 feet in length and 9 to 11 inches in width, but also as narrow as six inches.

The original of the sash is vague. According to Marius Barbeau who researched and wrote about Native lifestyles for the federal government, it seems highly unlikely that the sash originated in France or any other continental country.

Barbeau contends that the art of finger weaving which is so dominant a character in the history of the sash, originated "in prehistoric and historic America, North and South." He further believes that French Canadians of Canada's historic era "borrowed from their Indian neighbors the simple process of finger braiding as exemplified in the Iroquois belts . . ."

The case made then, is that the sash never was exclusively Metis nor was it originated by French or Europeans. That sashes were "Metis made" is just as much a misconception as is the notion that bannock is an Indian invention when, in fact, it was a creation of the Metis who adopted the original Scottish recipe. Be that as it may, the sash is one of the most dominating traits of the material culture of the Metis.

Fiddle Dances

Metis people became well known for their adeptness at playing oe of a number of musical instruments. The fiddle, guitar, banjo and mouth organ have been the most common instruments in the Metis society. This is especially true of the fiddle which has become almost as symbolic as the sash.

Inherited from both their French and Scottish ancestors, Metis peoples learned to play instruments "by ear." Fiddle dances were very popular and included the polka, two step (fox trot), reels, schottisches and waltzes.

Associated with the music of the Metis was dancing, more specifically, jigging. The Red River jig, now called the "Metis National Anthem", has been highly popularized and is considered one of the bastions of Metis culture.

The jig is believed to have been adopted from Scottish society. In her book, 'Gabriel's Children', author Rita Schilling describes the jig as being a consequence of "the intricate footwork of the Indians with Scottish reels and dance forms."

York Boats

Within the economy of the Metis during the historic period, two particular inventions warrant mention. One is the York boat; the other the Red River cart.

A Metis by the name of William Sinclair is credited with the origin of the York boat around 1835. The craft is an innovation of similar type boats from the Orkney Islands of northern Scotland.

These slow but sturdy craft were usually powered by eight rowers and one steersman although a dozen or more men was not uncommon. Due to their width plus their ability to carry heavy loads, they seldom capsized.

York boats measured anywhere up to 42 feet (12.6 m) in length and were capable of carrying up to six tons (5.4 t) of cargo. Often, four to eight of them would form as a "brigade" to ship supplies up, down and across Canada's water routes.

Widely used by the Hudson's Bay Company, York boats began to disappear from the scene about 1880, just when the Red River cart and the locomotive began to make their presence felt in the west.

Red River Carts

Yet another aspect of Metis culture which stemmedfrom the British Isles was the Red River cart. It was a variation of a similar type cart native to northern Scotland.

The two-wheeled vehicle, so notably associated with Metis transportation, is known to have existed as early as 1801 in the Canadian west.

Generally speaking, the cart consisted of a light box frame supported by two disc-shaped wheels and two shafts which protruded at the front end. The cart was drawn by horse or oxen and highly prized because it could travel through swamps or muskeg, over rocks, across rivers, or over lumpy bush country.

Ranging from five to six feet in height, carts were constructed entirely of wood and, therefore, easy to repair. It was that wood-on-wood assembly, however, that created a loud shrieking sound similar to a thousand fingernails being drawn across the surface of a chalkboard.

Grease could not be used the wheel's axle for it would only attract dirt which would have caused it to clog up and bring the cart to a halt.

In general, carts were used to transport people, personal possessions, tents, and products of the famous buffalo hunts. When camped, they were pulled into a circle with the shafts pointed outward in the event of an attack.

There are many other aspects of Metis culture and there are several books that contain more information. The social, religious and political organization of the Metis are but a few topics that warrant research. So might foods such as des boulettes ("bullets") which were small meat balls made from buffalo meat, tallow, salt, pepper and chopped onion which was rolled in flour and boiled with potatoes.

And do not forget about the language. Investigate the term "michif" and take things from there.