DCHP-1 Online

Métis [< Cdn F < F "mongrel; half-breed"] Esp. West and Northwest

• n. a person of mixed Indian and European, especially French, parentage; half-breed.

  See also: Brulé (def. 1)  Canadian half-breed  French halfbreed  half-breed (def. 1)  Metif  

  • This well-established term reflects much divided usage in Canada, both with regard to spelling and pronunciation.

  • 1816  (1939)  Your European Servants and Metiss are in many places deserting over to the North West Company.
  • 1841  The Metis call themselves "free people," (gens libres;) but by their neighbours they are designated as "Metis of the Red river," "the Red-river people," "the People of the North."
  • 1886  In all his experience on the plains, Johnny had never been called on to eat dog flesh, and in despair he turned to McGillies, the French Metis, (many of the French half-breeds have Scotch names,) who was eating away most unconcernedly, and asked him what was to be done, for he would not eat any more of the mess.
  • 1913  Metis (pronounced Mee-tees; has same form in singular and plural). It is applied to all half-breeds of Indian blood, but more especially to those whose ancestry is French, for those of British descent are always designated by the French as Metis "Anglaise". . . .
  • 1934  Old Angus Brabant had employed methods all his own in handling these Indian and Metis freighters.
  • 1966  Mr. Anderson . . . flew north to a settlement of about 1500 Cree Indians and 300 Metis.