November 28 History
For the past few weeks, you have learned about pioneers and how they settled land that was in the western parts of Canada and the United States—including Manitoba. It was a very hard journey and was extremely difficult work building houses, towns and farms.
But, something really bad also happened when the pioneers moved west and started their towns and farms. There were already people living on many of the lands that the pioneers wanted. Those people are known as The First Peoples or Indigenous People. They had been living in Canada and the United States hundreds of years before the pioneers came.
A lot of the pioneers and other people with white skin thought they were better than the First Peoples and just stole their land. Also, they treated the First Peoples very poorly. You’ve learned how Black people were enslaved and treated terribly. That was how the First People were also treated. This is what happens when one group of people (for instance, those with white skin) think they are better than another group of people. Very bad things happen then.
It’s important to understand that the First Peoples of Canada and United States had their own culture, their own towns, and their own way of life when the pioneers came to their land. A lot of the First People’s way of life was changed and erased when the white people took their land.
One of the groups of First Peoples living in Manitoba at the time when pioneers came to build farms and towns was the METIS. Today you get to learn a bit about the Metis people. A lot of their culture and way of life has been erased by those who came to settle in Manitoba. So, part of making things right (also known as “reconciliation”) is learning about their history and culture.
Metis Homes
A log house was the most common Metis home. It was a basic cabin made of rounded logs.
Metis Food
The Metis hunted bison and other animals. They also fished a lot. They had to preserve a lot of their food so that it would feed them over the long winters.
Pemmican
Watch this video about pemmican:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_vLuMobHCI&t=25s
Would you eat pemmican, Ellie and Catrina? 😊
Metis Flag
The Metis, like many First Nations groups, had their own flag. Here it is:
Metis Language
The Metis people spoke their own language. It is called Michif. The word “hello” in Michif is Taanishi. It is pronounced TAWN-SHAY.
Red River Cart
The Metis people carried heavy loads on Red River Carts. Watch this video to learn more about it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWw8J55Inlg
Metis Culture
Every group of people have a culture that is special to them. Watch this video about growing up Metis. While you’re watching it, think of the ways your Mennonite and Canadian culture is the same as the Metis. Also, think about how your culture is different than Metis culture. Talk about it with Catrina after the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wVoC16yTW4
Metis Art
A part of a group’s culture is art. Art can include music, dancing and paintings.
The Metis people invented a dance called the Red River Jig. This was a dance that was performed to fiddle music. The fiddle is a traditional Metis musical instrument. Here is a video of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9BgghUnB8M&t=10s
The Metis people also have a very unique style of art. It’s called dot art. The pictures are made with dots made of paint or beads. Here are some examples:
Now it’s your turn to make some Metis dot art! Watch this video and then make your own dot art painting! There are some templates printed out if you want or you can draw your own picture and dot-paint it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdRdGp4-Xus
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