Dr. Brenda Macdougall, Chair in Métis Research, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Ottawa

Bruce Dumont, President and National Minister of Health, Métis Nation BC

Knowing Who You Are: Métis history, identity and the Métis Nation today

This presentation sets out to explore the historical and contemporary identity and influence of Métis people in Canada.

To begin, Métis historian Dr. Brenda MacDougall, will overview the historical context in which the Métis Nation was born. She will explain how over a short period of time, Métis people developed a distinct society, with its own particular cultural, economic, and social orientation. As part of this historical overview, Dr. Macdougall will examine the path that the Métis followed throughout the nineteenth century to assert their rights and interests as a separate people. Though relatively new as a distinct people, the influence of Métis people has profoundly impacted how we understand Aboriginal and Canadian history. Knowing one's identity and history will be shown as critical to individual well-being and as an indicator of a strong and healthy nation.

Bruce Dumont, President of the Métis Nation British Columbia, will conclude the presentation with some thoughts on the contemporary challenges and advances of Métis people in Canada.

Speaker Bios

Brenda Macdougall, appointed Chair in Métis Research at the University of Ottawa in 2010, has worked with a number of Métis communities documenting their cultural history through the stories of families. She is the author of several articles, and her first book, One of the Family: Métis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan (2010), was awarded the Clio Prize for Prairie history by the Canadian Historical Association. Recognized as one of the foremost scholars on the Métis, she is invited to speak and community, government, industry and academic events, sits on a number of national and provincial committees, and oversees a number of significant research grants.

Bruce Dumont has served his Métis community for many years. He became the president of the Métis Nation British Columbia in 2005. Mr. Dumont is currently serving his third term in office as President of the Métis Nation British Columbia and is the Minister for Natural Resources. He also sits as a Board of Governor at the national level for the Métis National Council as Minister for Culture, Heritage and Language and Minister for Health and Sport.

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Browse Publications & Online Resources

Métis Nation BC
 

Métis Health Research Database
 

Sharing their Stories: Narratives of Young Métis Parents and Elders about Parenting
 

The nutritional health of First Nations and Métis of the Northwest Territories: A review of current knowledge and gaps
 

The nutritional habits of Métis infants and young children in Canada: a preliminary examination
 

The nutritional habits of Métis children and youth in Canada: A preliminary examination
 

Paucity of Métis-specific health and well-being data and information: underlying factors
 

Métis women and disease: A preliminary examination
 

Towards Cultural Safety for Métis: An introduction for health care providers