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Metis Resources

Looking for information about or by the Metis in Canada? This Guide offers suggestions for locating such materials.

Books on this page

What are these books?

Some (such as Metis Legacy and Metis Legacy Volume II) are bibliographies - lists of books on different Metis subjects. Bibliographies may be a valuable source of information for researchers. Sometimes, if you  find a book or journal article on your topic, you may want to have a look at the Bibliography (or Reference List) within that particular book or article - you may find useful materials you would not have found otherwise.

Others indicate you might want to consider a variety of terms for your research. The Historical Development of Aboriginal Political Organizations makes no reference to Metis in the title, but it DOES contain Metis references. In this case, the term Aboriginal includes Metis.

Some books below are listed at the request of Faculty in the Native Studies Department - to help you find some of the resources in the BU Library.

A selection of books on Metis topics in the BU Library/includes some online options

Be sure to note the location of the item. Not all are on the BU Library Catalogue.

Aboriginal Peoples: Resources Pertaining to First Nations, Inuit and Metis /E78.C2M26 2000 Main Reference and other locations. (Manitoba Department of Education and Training is from the Native Education Directorate and Instructional Resources Unit.) It is a "comprehensive listing of print and audiovisual instructional resources" to help educators select and implement resources. The section on Metis includes Autobiography/Biography, Contemporary Society, Historical, and Literature (Drama/Fiction/Anthologies), then Audiovisual Materials - Kits/Phonotapes, Videorecordings, and Films. The literature section has a list of books by and about Metis people (alphabetical by author, then designated as Early Years, Middle Years, Senior Years, or Teacher Reference.) There is a 2004 Supplement to this title (E78. C2M265) in the Main Reference collection with a short additional section on the Metis.

The Archival Resource Guide for Aboriginal Issues /E97.9.D69 2009 Main Reference & other locations. A catalog of Aboriginal resources at the Saskatchewan Archives Board.

The birth of Western Canada: a history of the Riel Rebellions /FC3215.S73 Second Floor. [The index directs users to the section Half-Breeds (French).]

Canadian Federal Debates and Journals. Location: Gov Docs and online. BU collection dates back into the 1800's. Ask for assistance with the print collection in the Gov Docs Office. [Sample: 1885 Debates Volume 4's index listing for Half-Breeds includes an entry for Resume of Events Since 1878 (page 3075) - this debate goes on for more than 100 pages, and discusses various aspects of the situation in the NorthWest, including Metis issues. In the Journals 1874 Volume VIII, there's an Appendix 6 with the Report of the Select Committee on the Causes of the Difficulties in the North-West Territory in 1869-70 from F. Geoffrion, Chair of the Committee - over 200 pages.

The Canadian Prairies /FC3237.F75 1984 Second Floor/various locations, editions, formats. There are chapters on the Metis (for example, The Metis and the Red River Settlement.) Books on Canadian Prairie history may have information on the Metis - check Tables of Contents and the Indexes.

Census of Canada (various years dating back to the 1660s) are in print in the Government Documents area - many of the these volumes are not on the catalogue. If you need to see Census materials, please ask for help or view the Canadian Census Data Library Guide.

The department of the interior in the west 1873-1883: an examination of some hitherto neglected aspects of the work of the outside service 1950 /FC3373.K4 Second Floor. This thesis has a major section on The Settlement of Land Claims Under the Manitoba Act, which includes a subsection for The Half-Breed Land Grant. Research may lead to Government Departments. (The Library does have some separate copies of the Department of the Interior Annual Reports, and there is an annual for 1891 in Archives. See the entry for Sessional Papers below.)

The Dictionary of Manitoba Biography /FC3355.B85 Main Reference/other editions and formats, including an online version, and The Encyclopedia of Manitoba FC3354.E53 2007 Main Reference may be useful for biographical information.

Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada /PS8015.E53 Main Reference/other editions & formats. Includes an entry for Metis - definition, a brief history of the people, and selection of authors (Sandra Birdsell, Maria Campbell, Joan Crate, Pierre Falcon, Marilyn Dumont, Jordan Wheeler), followed by a list of authors about the Metis (Harry Bernard, Maurice Constantin-Weyer, John Coulter, Nicholas Davin, Margaret Laurence, Charles Mair, Gilbert Parker, Robert de Roquebrune, Rudy Wiebe, George Woodcock). Also suggestions for further reading and notes references for the Michif Language entry.

Famous Manitoba Metis /FC109.1.A1F3 Second Floor. Short biographies for: "Jimmy Jock" Bird, Pierre Falcon (and Falcon as Governor of the Hunt), Cuthbert Grant, Henry Budd, William Kennedy, Louis Riel, Sr., Alexander Kennedy Isbister, Father Lacombe, James McKay, William Inkster, James Ross, John Norquay, Marguerite Riel, Louis Riel, Jr., Gaspard Chartrand, Guillaume Charette, Joseph Keeper, Sr., Manie-Tobie, Adam Cuthand, Joseph P. Guay, J. Angus Spence, Constance Eyolfson, and Ferdinand Guiboche.

The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes /E77.G15 v.3 Main Reference.  Pages 137-143 on Metis include an Introduction, History, Oral Culture, Culture (Religion, Language, Buildings, Subsistence, Clothing and Adornment, Healing Practices, and Customs), and Current Tribal Issues. Note that 'current' will only be applicable as far as the date of publication - 1998.

Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 13 (Plains) Part 1 /E77.H25 v.13pt.1 Main Reference. Includes a chapter on the Plains Metis written by Diane Paulette Payment (pages 661 to 676), with sections on Language, Origins:Territories, External Relations, Culture (Society and Way of Life, Political Tradition and Armed Resistance, Economy, Religion, Structures, Technology, and Identity), Social and Political Issues, Population, Synonymy, and Sources.

Historical and Scientific Society of Manitoba/Papers/Nos.1-10 bound volume 1945-55 /FC3352.M32 No.1-10 Second Floor. Number 9, has a chapter Land Grants Under The Manitoba Act page 33.

Historical Development of Aboriginal Political Associations in Canada: Documentation 1973 /Z1209.2.C2W55 North Stacks. Lists dates for the formation of aboriginal groups (note date on this item is 1973.) For example, entry for the Manitoba Metis Federation indicates it was formed March 1968 and lists as the source The Indian Record, May 1968. Another section in the book outlines major Aboriginal political voluntary associations in Canada by date of formation - begins prior to 1570 and continues to 1973. The index is alphabetized by organization name.

Metis Families 2016/Gail Morin/11 Volumes Second Floor (E99. M47M676 2016) Volume 1. Adam to Bird -- Volume 2. Birston to Chalifoux -- Volume 3. Champagne to Desjarlais -- Volume 4. Deslauriers to Garand -- Volume 5. Gariepy to Houle -- Volume 6. Hourie to Land -- Volume 7. Landry to Marion -- Volume 8. Martel to Nolin -- Volume 9. Normand to Quintal -- Volume 10. Racette to Stevenson -- Volume 11. Sutherland to Zace. Also includes general information on researching families.

Metis Legacy: A Metis Historiography and Annotated Bibliography 2001 /FC109. M494 2001 /Second Floor & other locations. Includes Contributions Made by Metis People, and sections on history, women, identity, culture, languages literature, art, military service, and more.

The second volume of this title is Metis legacy, volume II : Michif culture, heritage, and folkways /FC109.M494 Second Floor & other locations.

Minnesota and the Manifest Destiny of the Canadian Northwest /E183.8.C2G55 Second Floor. Includes information on the Metis.

Native Law /KE7709.W66 1994 Second Floor & other versions. Contains information on Metis, subdivided into sections on Definitions, Constitutional position of Metis, Manitoba Act 1870, Dominion Lands Act, Metis Settlements Act (Alberta), Metis Settlements Appeal Tribunal, Metis Settlements Land Protection Act (Alberta), then another section on Non-Status Natives and Persons of Mixed Blood. Remember when you are consulting legal materials that information may no longer be current.

A study of the population of Indian ancestry living in Manitoba, 1959 /E78.M25A53 Second Floor. Chapter Three -The Population Under Study B) The Metis - includes the Metis in Canada, Manitoba Metis, distribution of population in Manitoba, information prior to 1870, in 1870, after 1870, in 1958, as well as sections on the position of the Metis in Manitoba communities. Other chapters offer employment, agriculture, education, and welfare information.

Province of Alberta: Annual Report of the Department of Public Welfare (Call Number: Gov Docs. Alb. De.P.We.Re. - BU has 1958-59, 1959-60, 1062-63, 1963-64) - each annual has a chapter on Metis Rehabilitation in Alberta for the year in question. Annual reports may be a valuable resource on programs, finances, and statistics.

Saskatchewan Annual Report for the Department of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation (Call Number: Gov Docs: Sask.De.So.We.Re.1960-1961 and 1961-1962) - has a chapter within each (Rehabilitation) titled "Assistance to Metis Groups."

Sessional Papers in Gov Docs Reference. (Please note that the Holdings in the Record are not complete - BU Library has more print copies on the shelf.)These reports/annuals provide information about the activities of the Government of Canada in its early years. Before the Dominion Bureau of Statistics was established in 1918, the annual reports of government departments such as Indian Affairs, The NorthWest Mounted Police, and Interior were important statistical sources. (For example, the 1886 year -Volume 19, No. 13 - has paper 52c Message from His Excellency the Governor General, transmitting copies of certain letters of a confidential character respecting the rebellion in the North-West Territories during the year 1885.) If you would like assistance accessing materials in the Sessional Papers, please ask us for help.

Skyscrapers Hide The Heavens: A History of Indian-White Relations in Canada /E78.C2M54 2000 Second Floor & other locations & formats. The index includes entries for the Metis.

Women of the Metis Nation /FC109.1.A1W66 2009 Second Floor. Short biographies for: Anne Carriere Acco, Anne Gairdner Anderson-Irvine, Josephte McKay Arcand, Joanne Arnott, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, Bernadette Lavallee Ballantyne, Annie McDermot Bannatyne, Judith G. Bartlett, Elsie Hourie Bear, Madeline Mercredi Bird, Sandra Louise Bartlette Birdsell, Marguerite Berard Boisvert, Caroline Lesperance Boucher, Elise Vivier Boyer, Jemima McKay Bray, Olive Lyonnais Brown, Barbara Bruce, Mary Cocking Budd, Marilyn Buffalo, Suzanna Rochon-Burnett, Pearl Calahasen, Victoria Belcourt-Callihoo, Maria Campbell, Tantoo Cardinal, Marguerite Dumas Caron,  Thelma Villeneuve Chalifoux, Ann Ferguson Charter, Marie Therese Goulet Courchaine, Rita Vivier Cullen, Adelaide Cayen dit Boudreau Delorme, Josephte Desjarlais Delorme, Olive P. Dickason, Elizabeth Cunningham Dion, Leah Marie Dorion, Marie de la Iowa Dorion, Amelia Connolly Douglas, Domitilde Gravelle-Dumont, Madeleine Wilkie Dumont, Marilyn Dumont, Sophie Letendre Dumont, Veronique Dumont, Claudette Courchaine Ek, Louise Erdrich, Constance Thomas Eyolfson, Isabelle McGillis Fagnant, Deborah L. Delaronde Falk, Rosalie LaFlesche Farley, Rosalie Favell, Liza Rita Flamand, Agathe Wilkie Fleury, Mary Ernestine Wells Fleury, Lorraine McTavish Freeman, Rosalie Parenteau Gariepy, Eleanor Thomas Garneau, Jeannette Swain Goertzen, Marcile Gratton, Mary Bowers Guilbault, Margaret Monkman Halcro, Martha Douglas Harris, Blandine "Blanche" Ross Henry, Aydreen Hourie, Euphemia Halcro Hourie, Shelley Hruska, Isabelle Dorion Impey, Margaret Bear Isbister, Olive Dumas Jobin, Doris Jones, Margo Kane, Mary Louise Kennedy, Linda Marie Ferguson Killian, Nancy Kipling (Keplin) Labombarde, Madeleine Marcotte Laframboise, Connie Laliberte, Emma LaRocque, Agnes Parenteau Laverdure, Marie-Antoinette Lamoureaux Lemaire, Marie-Marguerite Boucher Lepine, Brenda Richard Longclaws, Isabella Clark Hardisty Lougheed, Sister Irene Christine Lavallee, Marie-Rosine Ross Lefort, Josephte Lavallee Lepine, Virginie Lepine McDougall, Mary Rose Davis McGillis, Bernice Welsh McLaughlin, Letitia Bird McKay, Rosemarie Lavallee McPherson, Lee Maracle, Sophia Thomas Mason, Catherine Mattes, Andrea Menard, Jenny McLeod Meyer, Rose Anne Ramsay Monkman, Beatrice Mosioner, Rose Anne Ramsay Monkman, Adelaide Caroline Branconnier Morrissette, Marie Ann Ledoux Morrisette, Nancy Arcand Morrisette, Anatasie Landry Nault, Melanie "Malvina" Vandal Nault, Angelique Nolin, Marguerite Nolin, Angelique Godon Parenteau, Judith Plante Parenteau, Pelagie Dumont Parenteau, Philomene Iskwesis Patenaude Parenteau, Susan LaFlesche Picotte, Beatrice Guibeault Potoski, Christine Quintasket, Mary Richard, Marguerite Monet dit Bellehumeur Riel, Sarah Riel, Melanie Vandale Rocheleau, Albertine Lafferty Rodh, Catherine Delorme Ross, Natalie Rostad-Desjarlais, Louise Roy, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Elsie Dorion Sanderson, Genevieve Carriere Sansregret, Yolande Teillet Schick, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, Jocelyne Soulodre, Jean Teillet, Adelaide Morin Thomas, Susette LaFlesche Tibbles, Josephte Gervais Tourond, Josephte Paul Tourond, Mary Bruyere Trotchie, Ursule Laframboise Trottier, Virginie Fisher Tourond, Muriel Stanley Venne, Angelique Le Roy Vieau, Christine Welsh, Jennifer Welsh, Marguerite (Margaret) Head Wyckstandt, and Grace Ledoux Zoldy.