In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the flood of homesteaders pushed Metis peoples in present-day Saskatchewan to the fringes of society. Their culture and way of life were not accepted, and as a result many Metis peoples in southern Saskatchewan were forced onto road allowances. In doing so, the ability of Metis families to establish community roots and their ability to obtain financial prosperity was severely restricted. As a result, these people often worked as seasonal or casual workers on farms, in towns or in the bush. This also greatly restricted educational opportunities, which, when combined with a lack of stability, perpetuated a cycle of poverty that was difficult to escape. (See Mark Calette Interview, and Emergence of Metis as Road Allowance People - Living Conditions).
Summary
Implications
Destitution as well as cultural degradation as the European settlers that migrated to Canada created an assimilatory environment where Metis peoples began to identify themselves as either French or English, not Metis. Aside form the affects of assimilationist pressures, the continued dispersal of families kept Metis people at the margins of society. As a result, it was easy for provincial governments to relocate Metis people as they saw fit (see entry on the The Relocation of Little Chicago Residents to Green Lake).
Sub Event
Impact on Southern Saskatchewan Metis Communities
Resources
Date
1890-00-00
Theme(s)