Metis Histories of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

3 credits · Undergraduate

The Métis people have frequently been referred to as the Free Peoples; “lii gens libres” /“Otipemisiwak” in Cree. In this course, students will learn about the dynamic history of the Métis peoples through the voices and perspectives of Métis thinkers and knowledge keepers. This course provides students with a survey of Métis histories in relation to lands, labour and political engagements of the nineteenth and twentieth century, and experiences utilizing Métis research methods, theories and core concepts. In centering Métis community experiences, students will learn concepts that include the ethnogenesis of the Métis, resistance, mobility, and wakootowin. This course provides students with experiential learning opportunities to engage deeper into topics such as Métis artistic expression, education, spirituality, and lands. Through readings and guest speakers, students will encounter Métis scholars, writers and thinkers who have preserved and transmitted Métis histories, grounded in Métis worldviews and perspectives.