Some Early Influences on Metis Political Organization

Abstract

Modern Native political organizations are generally assumed to be a relatively recent phenomenon in Canada, first coming into prominence in the mid-sixties. But many of these organizations have been in existence for fifty years or more, and were often preceded by similar organizations as far back as the 1890’s. This paper is concerned with the development of those political organizations specifically devoted to the cause of the Metis in Western Canada, describing some of the influences on their structures and some of the consequences these have had for the contemporary situation.

Résumé

On pense généralement que les organisations politiques autochtones au Canada ressortissent à un phénomène récent, qui serait survenu surtout à partir de 1965. Au contraire, plusieurs de ces organisations existent depuis au moins cinquante ans tandis que d’autres remontent aux années 1890. Dans ce texte, nous prenons comme exemple l’évolution des organisations politiques des Métis dans l’Ouest canadien. Ce faisant, nous parlons des influences sur leurs structures, et des conséquences sur la situation contemporaine.