Who are the Métis?
- A distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry
- Descendants of French settlers in the Maritimes
- Inuit who live in the Prairies
- Settlers who came from the United States
Answer: A distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry
The Métis are a distinct people with both Aboriginal and European ancestors. Most live in the Prairie provinces. They come from French- and English-speaking backgrounds and have their own dialect, Michif. Do not confuse them with the Acadians, who descend from French colonists in what are now the Maritime provinces.
Learn more: First Nations, Inuit and Métis
- The three distinct groups are First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
- “Indian” refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis. The term First Nations began to be used in the 1970s.
- About half of First Nations people live on reserve land in about 600 communities; the other half live off-reserve, mainly in urban centres.
- “Inuit” means “the people” in the Inuktitut language.
- Inuit live in small, scattered communities across the Arctic. Their knowledge of the land, sea and wildlife helped them adapt to one of the harshest environments on earth.
- In Nunavut, about 85% of the population is Inuit.
- The Métis are a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry. Most live in the Prairie provinces.
- The Métis come from French- and English-speaking backgrounds and speak their own dialect, Michif.
- In the 2021 Census, about 58% of Aboriginal people were First Nations, 34.5% Métis and 3.9% Inuit.