Metis Identity in Canada

The understanding and acknowledgement of Aboriginal rights has grown in importance within Canada as a result of the ever changing legal landscape and as Aboriginal groups more forcefully confront decades of colonial rule to assert their historic rights. While this has predominantly come out of First Nations issues, there has been a gradual increase in the rights cases by Métis communities. Primary among these was the 2003 Supreme Court of Canada Powley decision which introduced how Métis identity and community identification are key in a successful litigation claim by Métis. This research considers questions surrounding the contentious nature of Métis identity including how Métis see themselves and how it is prescribed by others including the state, through tools such as the Census of Canada.