Volume 2, Number 2, 2025 Relationality, Ethics and Identity

EN:

The Métis author shares her experiences navigating relationships with the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) across her research studies on Métis spirituality, especially relationships with traditional Indigenous ceremonies, underscoring ethical considerations. Recent efforts by the MMF to assert sovereignty as a safeguard against Métis identity fraud and subsequent impacts on Métis research and scholarship are also discussed. The argument proposed is that the academic freedom of Métis citizen scholars need not be pitted against Métis government efforts at sovereignty—rather than viewing these as mutually exclusive, they can co-exist to promote ethical Métis scholarship and self-determination.

EN:

In Indigenous health research, mentorship shapes career trajectories, influences relationships with communities, and creates opportunities for growth. This paper presents reflections from Métis scholars whose early careers were influenced by a mentor later alleged to have misrepresented their identity. We examine how this experience disrupted academic and community relationships, eroded trust, and required navigation of complex emotional and political contexts. Grounding our work in Métis ways of knowing, we highlight both the harms experienced and the resilience fostered through new kinship networks. We conclude by outlining strategies to rebuild trust, support Indigenous scholars, and advance Indigenous health research with integrity and care.

EN:

This paper explores Métis author katherena vermette’s graphic novel collection, A Girl Called Echo (2017–2021) for the ways in which it presents Wahkohtowin-centred storytelling. Engaging with Métis history and Métis-specific theory of Wahkohtowin, this reading of vermette’s text draws connections between ancestral history, resurgent action, and futurity. It examines the protagonist’s journey to connect with her ancestors, grow in her connections with her present-day relations, and consider her roles as a descendant of the past and an ancestor of the future. Through an exploration of these relationships, this paper argues for a Wahkohtowin-centred reading of Métis literatures.