Settlement FAQs

what are métis from the paddle prairie metis settlement

by Deontae Thiel Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement is one of eight Métis Settlements in Alberta. The community is located in the northwest corner of the province near the Peace River. It is 1,739 km2, or roughly two and a half times the size of Edmonton.
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Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement.
Published OnlineAugust 3, 2021
Last EditedAugust 3, 2021
Aug 3, 2021

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What are the 8 Métis settlements?

The eight current settlements are: Buffalo Lake, East Prairie, Elizabeth, Fishing Lake, Gift Lake, Kikino, Paddle Prairie and Peavine. These settlements are self-governing and administered by the Métis Settlements General Council.

Where are the Metis settlements?

There are 8 Metis Settlements in Alberta, comprising 512,121 hectares (1.25 million acres). The Settlements are located primarily in the east-central and northern areas of the province. Based on the Metis Settlements Census Report 2018, there were approximately 5,632 residents on Metis Settlements in 2018.

Who can live on a Metis settlement?

A person who wants to become a member of one of the 8 Metis Settlements must apply to one of those councils for membership approval. In order to be considered for membership, the applicant must: have Canadian Indigenous ancestry. identify with Métis history and culture.

What did the Metis Settlement Act do?

The Act establishes eight Settlement Corporations, the Metis Settlements General Council and the Metis Settlements Appeal Tribunal (provincial quasi-judicial) as legal entities, and establishes the Metis Settlement Land Registry.

What is Métis land called?

The Rupert's Land territory included all or parts of present-day Northwest-Nunavut Territory, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, and became known to the Métis as the “Métis Homeland.”

What are Métis land claims?

METIS LAND-CLAIMS ISSUES Those who did not receive land found their communities widely scattered. The federal government refused to handle Métis claims to land on a collective basis, which would have provided blocks of land large enough to accommodate whole communities.

What does Métis status get you?

Metis Status gives access and fellowship to your extended kinship community, and without membership, Metis communities cannot represent you. Registration with the organization within your type of ancestry is not like being in a club, it's about being part of a family and community.

What benefits do Métis get in Canada?

These include:academic readiness and support.wraparound services to students and their families such as: ... outreach and navigation services.cultural education and life-skills development, including fostering awareness and cultural belongings as a citizen of the historic Métis Nation.More items...•

What can you do with your Métis card?

1) What does my new citizenship card entitle me to?Proof of citizenship with the Métis Nation.Access to all MNO programs and services, including education, training, housing, health, economic development, etc.Ability to participate in MNO activities, including community meetings and cultural events.More items...•

Who are the Metis people?

The Métis people originated in the 1700s when French and Scottish fur traders married Aboriginal women, such as the Cree, and Anishinabe (Ojibway). Their descendants formed a distinct culture, collective consciousness and nationhood in the Northwest. Distinct Métis communities developed along the fur trade routes.

Is there a Métis language?

Michif is the language spoken by the Métis, who are the descendants of French fur traders and First Nations women, dating back to days of the Red River Settlement in Manitoba.

Who are the Métis in Canada?

The Métis Nation is comprised of descendants of people born of relations between First Nations women and European men. The offspring of these unions were of mixed ancestry. Over time a new Indigenous people called the Métis resulted from the subsequent intermarriage of these individuals.

Where are the Métis located in Canada?

The majority of Métis live in the western provinces and Ontario. The majority (84.9%) of people who identified themselves as Métis lived in either the western provinces or in Ontario. The largest population was in Alberta (96,865) where 21.4% of all Métis in Canada lived.

How many Métis communities are there in Canada?

As of 2016, the settlements cover 512,121 hectares of land and are home to approximately 5,000 people. The Métis Settlements are self-governing and provide for the protection of Métis culture and identity....History of Métis Settlements in Canada.Article byRené R. GadaczUpdated byMichelle FiliceApr 21, 2022

Where is the Métis homeland?

Distinct Métis communities developed along fur trade routes that made the Métis Nation Homeland. Today, the Homeland includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, parts of British Columbia and Ontario, the Northwest Territories, and the northern United States.

What colony did the Métis mainly inhabited?

The Metis people of the Red River Colony The culture and lifestyle of the Metis community living in Red River were not only present at the colony.

What did the Ewing Commission see in the Métis?

This Ewing Commission saw agriculture, particularly stock-raising, as the means by which the Métis could be made into "self-supporting citizens". Farm colonies, in which the Métis themselves would provide most of the physical labour, would be a suitably inexpensive relief scheme for the cash-strapped Alberta government to implement.

What were the conditions of the Métis population in Alberta during the Great Depression?

A royal commission was formed to investigate the living conditions of Alberta's "half-breeds" (as the Métis were known), who were then squatting on road allowances with no ready sources of cash income, or trapping in remote areas without access to education or health services. Métis children in urban areas were driven away from public schools by the ridicule and humiliation of white pupils, with an estimated 80% of the provincial Métis population receiving no education whatsoever.

How many townships are there in paddle prairie?

The largest and most northerly of Alberta's Metis settlements, Paddle Prairie consists of approximately seventeen townships. It is bounded by the Peace River on its eastern border, where the La Crete ferry still operates.

What are the boundaries of paddle prairie?

The exact boundaries of the Paddle Prairie settlement, as described in its enabling legislation, are as follows: That portion of Township 102, Range 19, west of the Fifth Meridian which lies west of the Peace River; That part of Township 102, Range 20, west of the Fifth Meridian, which lies west of the Peace River;

Where is paddle prairie?

It is located along the Mackenzie Highway (Highway 35), approximately 72 km (45 mi) south of the Town of High Level.

What were the Métis settlements in Alberta?

While treaties in Alberta and elsewhere in the country set aside land in the form of reserves for First Nation peoples, Métis people were excluded from these agreements. The Ewing Commission examined the socio-economic conditions faced by Métis in Alberta. It recommended “Métis colonies” be established. The Government of Alberta accepted these recommendations and eventually established 12 Métis “colonies” or settlements in the central and northern portions of the province. By 1960, the provincial government had rescinded four of those settlements (Cold Lake, Touchwood, Marlboro and Wolf Lake). The remaining eight settlements (Paddle Prairie, Peavine, Gift Lake , East Prairie, Buffalo Lake, Kikino, Elizabeth and Fishing Lake) continue to be vibrant Métis communities.

How many council members are there in the paddle prairie?

The settlement’s government is made up of three to five elected council positions, consisting of one chairperson and between two and four council members. The elected council is voted on by the settlement members and elections take place every four years.

How many acres were burned in the paddle prairie fire?

In May and June 2019, the fire forced the evacuation of the entire settlement. Residents were displaced for as long as 33 days. In total, the fire burned 865,000 acres over an 17-month period, including 149,760 acres within Paddle Prairie’s boundary — about 35 per cent of the settlement’s area. Sixteen homes were destroyed and several other structures partially damaged. A costly recovery effort is now underway throughout northwestern Alberta.

What sport is played in paddle prairie?

The Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement has always had a close connection to sports and recreation. Many members are avid hockey players in the winter and play slo-pitch in the summer. Horseshoe tournaments and cribbage games are played throughout the year.

What are the natural resources of paddle prairie?

The natural resource industries that are most developed on the settlement are timber harvesting and farming. Paddle Prairie is also located on substantial oil and natural gas reserves. Most recently Paddle Prairie has developed several different solar projects. The projects subsidize the power consumption of the settlement’s buildings. The largest is a 240 panel installation at the water treatment plant and an 80 panel installation at the community arena.

What are some examples of traditional activities in paddle prairie?

Traditional, land-based activities include hunting, trapping, fishing, and the gathering of medicines and berries. Many members of Paddle Prairie practice traditional activities throughout the year. For example, moose , deer and elk are important sources of food for many families.

Where is paddle prairie?

The Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement is one of eight Métis Settlements in Alberta. The community is located in the northwest corner of the province near the Peace River. It is 1,739 km2, or roughly two and a half times the size of Edmonton. This makes Paddle Prairie the largest of the eight settlements in terms of area. It also makes it larger than the largest First Nation reserve in both the province and the country. (Blood 148, held by Kainai Nation in southern Alberta , is 1,342.9 km2.) The population of Paddle Prairie is 536, according to the settlement’s 2019 census. In addition, people may be a member of the settlement but live elsewhere.

What are the traditional practices of paddle prairie?

Traditional practices such as hunting fishing, trapping, and gathering continue to be practiced by community members on the vast lands of Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement, with hunting being a primary source of food for many families. Recreation activities in the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement include hockey, baseball and rodeo. Many members have become known for their unique talents and skills, including hunting and fishing, farming, carpentry, sewing, crafts, athletics and musical abilities.

Where is the paddle prairie?

Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement is the largest and most northerly Métis settlement, located in northwest Alberta along Highway 35, 72 km south of the Town of High Level.

What are the activities in paddle prairie?

Recreation activities in the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement include hockey, baseball and rodeo. Many members have become known for their unique talents and skills, including hunting and fishing, farming, carpentry, sewing, crafts, athletics and musical abilities. In 2019, the Settlement lost nearly 1/3 of its land area and 15 homes as a result ...

Is paddle prairie in Mackenzie County?

It is adjacent to both Mackenzie County and the County of Northern Lights. Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement has a vast amount of natural resources for local timber harvesting, natural gas production and farming and is populated by a variety of wildlife and different species of boreal vegetation.

Does paddle prairie have solar power?

The community also utilizes solar power generating units to power several community buildings including a 240-panel install at the water treatment plant and an 80-panel install at the Paddle Prairie Communiplex, which help to offset the community’s energy needs. Other services and facilities available in Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement include the Administrative Office, Library, Seniors Centre, Parent Link, Brighter Futures, Health Clinic and Youth Centre. Paddle Prairie School has approximately 120 students from Carcajou, Keg River and Paddle Prairie. The school is for students ECS to Grade 12 and offers both academic and CTS courses.

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History

Traditional Land and Activities

The Great Depression of the 1930s saw much deprivation among the nomadic Métis population of Alberta, estimated at about 11,000 in 1936. A royal commission was formed to investigate the living conditions of Alberta's "half-breeds" (as the Métis were known), who were then squatting on road allowances with no ready sources of cash income, or trapping in remote areas without access to education or health services. Métis children in urban areas were driven away from pub…

Townscape and Infrastructure

Chuckegg Creek Wildfire

Governance

Economy and Current Projects

Cultural Life

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