who are the metis

The Métis are a distinct Indigenous people in Canada with mixed European (primarily French, Scottish, and English) and Indigenous (primarily Cree) ancestry. They originated in the 18th century during the North American fur trade, especially around the Prairie Provinces and Red River Valley area. The Métis have their own unique culture, language (Michif), history, and political identity, distinct from First Nations and Inuit peoples. They are recognized as one of the three Indigenous peoples in the Canadian Constitution since 1982. The Métis Nation has a shared history especially tied to the fur trade, and they played important roles as guides, interpreters, and traders. Politically, they formed governments and negotiated the creation of Manitoba in 1870. Today, there are around 624,000 Métis in Canada, with communities also in parts of the northern United States. The term "Métis" refers not just to mixed ancestry but to a peoplehood with common cultural practices, songs, dances, symbols, and identity, centered largely around Canada's Prairie provinces and extending into neighboring regions.