Métis Conflicts

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Conflict arises in all parts of the world, war, starvation, racism, etc. Everyday there is a new problem somewhere in the world, but some conflicts stick around for decades. This is particularly true for indigenous people who stay routed in their history as the world changes around them. Canada was founded in 1867 but its people have been around long before then. Reported in 2011 there were 1.8 million Aboriginal peoples living in Canada and their history significantly predates the arrival of European settlers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the conflicts that the indigenous people of Canada still face today, specifically that of the Métis. Métis are people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry and are one of the three Aboriginal…show more content…
They represented 32.3% of the total Aboriginal population and 1.4% of the total Canadian population. Due to their involvement in the fur trade Métis people were typically situated near Canadian trade routes however the original Métis communities were found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. They also live in parts of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Most of these communities were set up near rivers due to their importance for transportation during the fur trade, lakes were also used for transportation of goods. The main river used in the western fur trade was the red river in Manitoba. Their conflicts in Canada date back to the early 1800s when the Red River Rebellion began. The Rebellion caused the creation of Manitoba and the rise of Louis Riel as a Metis leader and hero to his…show more content…
For many years prior to their rights being established the Métis dealt with issues regarding land claims, hunting rights, and not being viewed as Aboriginal peoples due to their mixed culture. In the 1870s conflict arose when new settlers arrived from the East forcing the Métis people from their homes or taking over the land while the inhabitants were out hunting. This eastern interest in their land was heightened by Henry Y. Hind’s report on its agricultural potential. Although the Métis were being harassed, authorities did nothing to help them reclaim their land. Eventually two-thirds of the Métis population of Manitoba left, most heading west to existing Metis settlements. In 2013 the Supreme Court of Canada decided that the government had failed to properly distribute and protect the 1.4 million acres allotted to the Métis in the Manitoba Act of 1870. In 2003 two Métis hunters shot and killed a moose and were charged with hunting without a license as well as unlawful possession of game. This led to a case known as R. v. Powley, in which they defended their actions by stating their Métis rights allowed them to hunt in a manner consistent with aboriginal rights. This created the “Powely test” which was used to determine which Métis communities could hunt and harvest in the way that their
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