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Social Science Native American Studies

One of the Family

Metis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan

by (author) Brenda Macdougall

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Jul 2010
Category
Native American Studies, Cultural, General, Customs & Traditions
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774817301
    Publish Date
    Jul 2010
    List Price
    $34.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774817295
    Publish Date
    Feb 2010
    List Price
    $95.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780774817318
    Publish Date
    Jan 2011
    List Price
    $125.00

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Description

In recent years there has been growing interest in identifying the social and cultural attributes that define the Metis as a distinct people. In this groundbreaking study, Brenda Macdougall employs the concept of wahkootowin – the Cree term for a worldview that privileges family and values interconnectedness – to trace the emergence of a Metis community in northern Saskatchewan. Wahkootowin describes how relationships worked and helps to explain how the Metis negotiated with local economic and religious institutions while nurturing a society that emphasized family obligation and responsibility. This innovative exploration of the birth of Metis identity offers a model for future research and discussion.

About the author

Awards

  • Winner, Clio Prize for the Prairies, Canadian Historical Association

Contributor Notes

Brenda Macdougall is an associate professor in the Department of Native Studies at the University of Saskatchewan.

Editorial Reviews

An impressive work that traces the emergence of the Metis community “as an expression of Aboriginality” (p. 56). One of the Family emerges as a welcome and much-needed contribution to the field and should serve as a valuable framework for future research. Both captivating and rigorous, this book is sure to engage scholars interested in Aboriginal-newcomer relations and Metis identity studies

H-Canada

In a meticulously crafted study of the connections between the Metis families of the Sakitawak (Île à la Crosse) region of Saskatchewan, Brenda Macdougall adds richness to a familiar story by extending the focus of her study from the geographic, temporal, and cultural preeminence of Red River in historical discourse.

H-Canada Review