Métis membership applications expected to climb

A federal court decision that classifies Métis as Indians, placing them under federal jurisdiction, may soon have more people lining up for membership cards.

Randy Ranville, a genealogist with the Métis Culture and Heritage Resource Centre in Winnipeg, helps Métis applicants dig through government scrips, Hudson’s Bay Co. employee records and the 1901 census for evidence their ancestors were designated “half-breeds.”

“We’re going to be swamped,” he said, following the court decision Tuesday.

It could take years before the ruling translates into any actual benefits for Métis people — the same afforded to status Indians. The federal government would have to redevelop its policies; it’s also expected to appeal the decision.

Still, Ranville said, people will want to get started with the process.

Métis people descend from European fur traders who married Indian women in the 18th century. As their numbers grew, they established distinct communities across the Prairie provinces and into Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northern United States. Perhaps the largest community was the Red River settlement in Manitoba.

According to the 2006 census, nearly 400,000 Canadians self-identified as Métis, although about half that number is officially recognized. Roughly 115,000 Métis have registered in Manitoba, Ranville said.

Typically, proof lies in an official family tree, accompanied by birth certificates and other documentation with ties to the historic Métis homeland.

Fred Shore, a professor in native studies at the University of Manitoba, said many people consider themselves Métis just because there’s native blood somewhere in their family tree. “That does not a Métis make,” Shore said.