Métis System of Governance

• The beginnings of Canada are intertwined with the birth of the Métis nation.

• As descendants of the First Nations peoples, the Métis have Aboriginal rights.

• However, the struggle for recognition of these rights has been on-going throughout the history of Canada, continuing to contemporary times.

Métis Camp Government

• A council of men would select 10 men to be captains

• These ten captains = Inner Council• Inner council would chose a captain to be in

charge of camp = La Chef (the Chief)• Ten guides would be appointed to guide the

movement of the camp• There would be a camp crier who made

announcements.

• The Inner Council would make rules that would be observed during the hunting expeditions.

• These rules became known as the Laws of Hunt

Louis Riel

• In 1869, a provisional government was established by the Métis people of the North West under the leadership of Louis Riel

• In the spring 1870, Louis Riel and his provisional government wrote the “List of Rights” for the basis of negotiating the entrance of Manitoba into the Constitution

• In late 1870, the Canadian Gov’t passed the Manitoba Act. A substantial portion of the list of rights were accepted and legislated.

Louis Riel and his “Provisional” Government

Gabriel Dumont

• In 1872, a public assembly was held to identify a system to keep order

• In 1873, Gabriel Dumont was elected President and a council of eight were chose to assist him, forming on of the first Métis governments in Canada.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnHRRl_up34