In Our Own Words: Northern Saskatchewan Metis Women Speak Out

The methodology used by the authors/interviewers/researchers incorporated a phenomenological approach, allowing for an unstructured interviewing that allowed interviewees to talk at length. Unstructured interviews may be less subject to researcher bias, which may arise from topic theme, traditional questionnaires, or surveys. Ninety six interviews were conducted with 83 women from seven communities.

All major Metis communities in Saskatchewan were included in the research: Stony Rapids (central north), Sandy Bay and Cumberland House (eastern), La Loche, Turnor Lake and Ile a la Crosse (western) and La Ronge (central south). Larger and more rapidly growing centres like La Loche, Ile a la Crosse, La Ronge, and Sandy Bay had a high Metis population. It was in these communities that the interface with and impact of change was most dramatic and therefore most visible. The researcher spent one year in prolonged visits to each community, during which time she lived in the settlements and conducted interviews. All interviews were taped and interviewees were either self-selected or referred by other Metis women. Systematic analysis of collected data was conducted in a two stage version of standard content analysis by Dr. Dolores Poelzer, a sociologist at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.

A summary of findings from Poelzer's study can be found:

Discrimination against Metis Women in the North