Métis in Canada: Difference between revisions

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The '''Métis''' (pronounced "MAY tee", [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: {{IPA|['mejti]}}, in French {{IPA|[me'tis]}} or {{IPA|[me'tsɪs]}}, in Michif {{IPA|[mɪ'cɪf]}}) are one of three recognized [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada]]. Their homeland consists of the [[Canada|Canadian]] provinces of [[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]], and [[Ontario]], as well as the [[Northwest Territories]]. The Métis Homeland also includes parts of the northern United States (ie. [[North Dakota]], and [[Montana]]). The Métis Nation consists of descendants of marriages of [[Woodland Cree]], [[Ojibwa]]y, [[Saulteaux]], and [[SaulteauxMenominee]] womenaboriginals to [[French Canadian]] and/or Celtic settlers (usually [[Scotland|Scottish]] or [[Ireland|Irish]]). Their history dates to the mid-seventeenth century. Historically, many (but not all) Métis spoke a mixed language called [[Michif]]. ''Michif'' is a phonetic spelling of the Métis pronunciation of ''Métif'', a variant of ''Métis''. The Métis today predominantly speak English with French as a strong second language. The encouragement and use of Michif is growing due to outreach within the provincial Métis councils after at least a generation of decline.

The word ''[[wiktionary:Métis|Métis]]'' (the singular, plural and adjectival forms are the same) is [[French language|French]], and a cognate of the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word ''[[mestizo]]''. It carries the same connotation of "mixed blood"; traced back far enough it stems from the [[Latin]] word ''mixtus'', the past participle of the verb "to mix".