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| Library and Archives Canada has an exhibition on display at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa called Hiding in Plain Sight: The Métis Nation. Consisting of archival photographs and other artwork, the exhibition gives the viewer a sampling of Métis history, life and culture. The exhibition continues until April 22, 2016 and is free to the public. |
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The Métis were descendants of First Nations and Europeans. They had settlements in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota.
Perhaps one of the best known Métis was Louis Riel (pictured), leader of the Métis Nation and a central figure in the Red River and Northwest resistances. He was executed for high treason for his role in the 1885 resistance to Canadian encroachment on Métis lands.
In 2011, more than 450,000 people in Canada (or 1.4 per cent of the entire population of Canada) identified as Métis, according to Wikipedia.
Photo by William James Topley. Courtesy Library and Archives Canada.
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| Dog train and cariole, Fort Edmonton by Charles Horetzky, 1872. Métis used carioles in winter as early as 1797 to transport furs, supplies and passengers. Pulled by a team of dogs, the carioles were made from hide, canvas and birch. Photo courtesy Library and Archives Canada. |