Got Land or Rights? Thank the Métis
- Murray Hamilton, Métis educator | January 23, 2014
Lii Vieux Michif or the Old Ones say that the Métis were put here on earth to be the bridge between the North American Nations and the European newcomers. The Metis were the interpreters and facilitators for all of the Western Treaties 1 - 7. The Métis played a pivotal role in the Treaty process and in fostering positive relationships between the Indian nations and the newcomers to Western Canada.
An Indian prophecy recounted by elder Danny Musqua and on display at the Saskatoon Airport foretold of the coming of the Europeans and that from the two peoples would emerge a New Nation. Elder Walter Linklater has stated the Métis are doubly blessed and reaffirms that the Métis have a special role to play in building, maintaining and strengthening relationships between the Indian and Newcomer peoples.
Michif Elder Norman Fleury says that the Creator gave the Métis people the gift of Michif so that Michif - speakers could be a bridge between the Indian language speakers and the Europeans.
Being Michif is having a Michif way of looking at the world. Being Michif is accepting the diversity of people and incorporating their words, their manners, their protocol, and their differences into your own Michif reality. To be Michif is to embrace different languages, cultures and ways of doing things.
The Métis worldview differs from our paternal and maternal cultures. For our European ancestors, human beings believe they are to have dominion over the Physical World, the Animal World and the Plant World. For our Indian ancestors, the relationship to the Physical World, Animal World, and Plant World is one of dependency. To them, human beings are the least necessary and most dependent of all beings made by the Creator. We believe we are neither to be dominant over nor subservient to all of Creation. We understand the plan of the Creator as directing us to work in relationships to collaborate, cooperate, and liaise with the other the other orders and other human beings. We were created as people of this land to be independent actors in Creation following the direction of the Creator as spiritual beings and in harmony with others. Harmony was the ultimate value.
The Métis continue to have a special relationship with both their paternal and maternal ancestors, more importantly they have a responsibility to foster harmony and good will between the two communities.