1. Emergence of the Métis Nation

A new and distinct group of Aboriginal people - the Métis - began to emerge in the eighteenth century in western Canada.

This group of people had mixed ancestry, in fact "Métis" means "mixed blood people". They were the offspring of French fur traders from the North West Company or British and Scottish fur traders from the Hudson's Bay Company and Cree, Dene or Ojibway women. (Today, of course, Métis refers to anyone with mixed ancestry of First Nation and European ancestry).

As marriages flourished and their populations increased in number, they developed a new Aboriginal language and culture.

Their "Mitchif" language mixed the French, English, Cree, and Ojibway languages. This mixing and transfer of the language to subsequent generations was done in such a way that a new language was formed; and their jigs combined the dances of both the Scottish and the plains Indians powwow dances.