Métis people (Canada)
 
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (451,795 (2011) 1.4% of the Canadian population) |
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| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Christian (Predominantly Roman Catholic), mixed with traditional beliefs | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
The Métis in Canada (/meɪˈtiː/; Canadian French: [meˈt͡sɪs]; Standard French: [meˈtis]; Michif: [mɪˈtʃɪf]) are a group of peoples in Canada who trace their descent to First Nations peoples and European settlers. They represent the majority of those identifying as Métis, though smaller communities also exist in the United States. They are recognized as one of Canada's aboriginal peoples under the Constitution Act of 1982, along with First Nations and Inuit peoples. They number over 451,795 as of 2011.
While the Métis initially developed as the mixed-race descendants of early unions between First Nations people and colonial-era European settlers (usually indigenous women and settler men), within generations (particularly in central and western Canada, but also in the Eastern parts of Canada), a distinct Métis culture developed. The early mothers were usually Mi'kmaq, Algonquin, Saulteaux, Cree, Ojibwe, Menominee, or Maliseet, or of mixed descent from these peoples. Their unions with European men were often of the type known as Marriage à la façon du pays. After New France was ceded to Great Britain's control, there was an important distinction between French Métis born of francophone voyageur fathers, and the Anglo-Métis (known as "countryborn"') descended from English or Scottish fathers. Today these two cultures have essentially coalesced into one Métis tradition, which does not preclude a range of other Métis cultural expressions across Canada. Such mixed-race people were historically referred to by other terms, many of which are now considered to be offensive, such as Mixed-bloods, Half-breeds, Bois-Brûlés, Bungi, Black Scots, and Jackatars. However, the contemporary Métis are a specific indigenous people and culture; the term does not apply to every person of "mixed" heritage or ancestry.
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