ONTARIO MÉTIS FACTS

Jimmy Swain was a Métis guide on the 1905 Treaty 9 expedition, serving as head guide for treaty commissioners travelling through northern Ontario and western James Bay regions. His leadership went beyond navigation and physical endurance. Swain recognized that true leadership also involved uplifting those around him and fostering a sense of community during times of exhausting labour. Born in northwestern Ontario, Swain lived, worked, and married in the Abitibi Inland and wes

Most people are aware of the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community’s deep and rich history. But did you know that it also has deep historical and contemporary connections throughout the Métis Nation Homeland? For example, Elzéar Goulet was second in command of the Métis militia under Louis Riel’s Provisional Government. He became a martyr of the Red River Resistance. He also had connections to the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community in the Upper Great Lakes. Goulet’s Métis grandmothe

The Roussain family, from the historic Métis community at Sault Ste. Marie, have been prominent advocates and organizers throughout Métis history, from the Upper Great Lakes to the Red River. In 1816, for example, Eustace Roussain rallied Métis in the Upper Great Lakes to support Cuthbert Grant’s efforts against Lord Selkirk’s troops in the Red River, culminating in the Battle of Seven Oaks. Eustace was later charged for his role in the conflict. Louise Roussain, another Saul