r/MetisMichif

Hi everyone

For months and months everyday I have been spending hours trying to figure out who my great great grandmother's family was. She was orphaned in Montana in the 1890s and there is absolutely zero documentation about her. Only an intake log from the orphanage on the day she was admitted that gave no answers. So what I've been trying to do is use my dad's ancestry dna matches to triangulate her potential family. Based on her orphanage intake log (which gave no answers on family but did suspiciously include details that seem to apply to an indigenous chilld) and some of my dads DNA matches that have Red River Metis ancestors, I believe she was Metis, and probably Little Shell given the geographical location she was found and the time frame, probably taken from her family. The problem is, like I said there is no documentation available outside of the orphanage intake and my dad's dna matches have me going around in circles. I've managed to pinpoint some matches that descend from the same family line but I cannot narrow it down and I am getting so frustrated I am about ready to give up. This makes me sad because if she was Metis, I would absolutely want to get involved with the culture and learn the language and feel proud to know our heritage. I just don't know where to go from here. Someone I spoke with recommended St. Boniface Historical Society but on their website it says you have to know your family line already that they don't help uncover that, but again no documentation and we have no idea who her family was. I've also been in touch with Little Shell tribe enrollment and they are trying to help me figure it out but I was hoping someone might know any other recommendations that could help?

Thanks in advance!

I have recently been diving into my ancestry and found family who are Métis. My mom in the past has said, “yeah, we are apparently Indigenous.” That was the furthest it got though until I started checking. The closest person I’ve tracked down who I have confirmed to be Métis is my great‑grandfather. Him and his brothers fought in WW1. One of them died, so I was able to find all his information, like being on the National Métis Veterans Memorial Monument. I then found our family tree and was able to track more information.

So now I sit and wonder what this means to ME. I want to learn my heritage and connect. I did not grow up Métis, so part of me feels like I’m trying to be something I’m “not.” I had a friend even say, “oh here we go, white girl finds out she is 1% something and runs with it.” That’s not at all my intention and made me feel gross even thinking it seemed like it. I guess I’m trying to figure out where the line is. Can I say I’m Métis? Should I? I was told “there’s no point.” And while it doesn’t change my life really, I think the point is beyond me. I don’t want to cut off something so important.

Is anyone else in a similar situation? And to those who grew up knowing they were Métis, what are your thoughts?

I am SO curious and want to learn my heritage and how I could honor it as well as be respectful. And if I read into things wrong and I don't count as Metis, Please let me know!

I applied for my card quite a long time ago. I had to order some docs from Manitoba and send along with my application. I wasn't sure if I was going to get approved because many months have gone by. I was pleasantly surprised that I received my card in the mail today. I am less impressed by how old I look in my pic lol. I know it doesn't really change a whole lot, but I'll feel a little more authentic when wearing my sash.

My grandpa was adopted and didn’t find out about his birth family until much later in life. We weren’t connected to our Métis heritage for a really long time.

Is there a specific way you have to smudge? I’ve sort of created my own based on our own family stories.

1. Rinse hands
2. Carry to my head and heart
3. Three times all over from top to bottom (the number three is significant to my family)

Is that wrong???? I don’t want to look inappropriate or stupid. It feels right to me but I can change if I’m being disrespectful

The MMF are possibly bringing back the satellite assemblies, if there are at least 50 citizens interested in a particular area.

Fill out this pre-registration form below by August 14th:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ijJ-2s_aEUGcceYRcElw4hrC-eDLZBhAvXyKKd_85iZUOUdaQ1VPRjBaMThOOTg3QTc5WjNGVlJDNyQlQCN0PWcu

So the basic story is my dad found out his father who raised him and his biological father was Manitoba Métis . His dad’s family through an ancestry website reached out and told my dad all about his family history though because they live far away we haven’t met them in person. His metis family seems to have strong connections to the community and even have been in documentaries . The thing is my dad grew up thinking he was white as did I . Even though my father was very dark all my life and it was confusing. My question is I don’t know if I should identify as mixed because we didn’t grow up in the culture. It’s been a confusing revelation and though my dads biological family is very involved in the culture my dad can’t be cause his biological father is now passed and besides through a genetic website knowing it’s his father he doesn’t feel validated in being a part of the culture because no legal documents recognize it since my grandmother lied about his paternity. Wondering if anyone else has went through a similar situation ?