Bois-Brûlés: The Untold Story of the Métis of Western Québec

By Michel Bouchard

Book Overview

We think of M tis as having exclusively Prairie roots, but what about their presence in Quebec? The province doesn't recognize a historical M tis community within its territory, and the M tis National Council contests the existence of any M tis east of Ontario. Quebec residents who seek recognition as M tis under the Canadian Constitution therefore face an uphill legal and political battle. Who is right?
Bois-Br l s, previously available only in French, examines the archival and ethnographic evidence for a historical M tis community in the larger Outaouais region, piecing together a riveting and previously untold history. Scottish and French-Canadian traders and Indigenous women - along with their Bois-Br l s children - both worked for and competed against fur trade companies in the early nineteenth century, establishing themselves in the unsurveyed lands still known as "Indian country." As the fur trade declined, these small communities remained.
This controversial work challenges head-on two powerful nationalisms - M tis and Qu b cois - that see Quebec M tis as "race-shifting" individuals intent on undermining the First Nations of the province. The authors evaluate the strength of community claims to provide a nuanced analysis of the historical basis for a distinctly M tis identity that can be traced all the way to today.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0774862335
• ISBN13: 9780774862332
• Release Date: August 2020
• Publisher: University of British Columbia Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.9"