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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, Customs & Traditions, Cultural, General
  • 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

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

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