Like other Métis communities across the Homeland, Métis communities in the Upper Great Lakes have relied on harvesting and deep place-based knowledge for their livelihoods and survival.
For example, whether it be fishing, berry picking, or their famous maple sugaring, the Métis of Sault Ste. Marie have taken pride in their bountiful harvests for generations.
For instance, living off the surrounding waters and lands of their family River Lot, the Mirons were one of many Métis families in Sault Ste. Marie who relied on their harvest to not only feed their families but also to nurture connections within their Métis community through their shared knowledge of and relationships with the land.
Louis Miron, in particular, was known to keep a journal in which he recorded the history of his Métis community and his recipes for medicines to treat various ailments.
One of those ailments was known as “thick throat,” which was treated with a mixture made of the bark of “young oak” and a medicine for a cough that consisted simply of “Duffy pure malt whiskey.”
Many members of the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community continue to pass down their family knowledge, including time-tested medicines and natural remedies.