“Threads of the Sash within their collective identity”
- Ontario Métis Facts
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
As part of their independent year-long study of the seven historic Métis communities in northern Ontario, the Métis National Council (MNC) Expert Panel was tasked with assessing whether each community and its citizens were merely of “halfbreed/mixedblood/mixed-ancestry” descent or verifiable members of the Métis Nation and part of its Homeland.
To do so, the MNC Expert Panel utilized an analytical framework first proposed by the Métis National Council within its official submissions to the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Powley which, on the topic of identifying distinct Métis peoplehood, stated:
“Without being exhaustive or essential, objective elements can include common language, history, culture, kinship, race or ethnicity, way of life and territory. In addition, a subjective element is necessary, whereby a ‘people’ identifies itself as such.”
Using these elements, the Expert Panel applied what it termed the Threads of the Sash analysis to each of the seven northern Ontario Métis communities to, “provide a measure to indicate if these ‘communities’ and/or individuals fulfill the National Definition and rightfully belong to the contemporary Métis Nation as part of our Homeland.”
After reviewing over 50,000 pages of evidence, engaging with over 160 Métis Nation citizens, elders, youth, scholars, and leaders during more than 120 hours of meetings, and visiting the seven Métis communities to engage with and gather additional evidence from community members themselves, the Expert Panel concluded that:
“It is our expert opinion that these communities are integral to the Métis Nation and its Homeland. They all have Threads of the Sash within their collective identity and can be grounded in the National Definition and the Métis National Homeland.”
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