Social Science Native American Studies
One of the Family
Metis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan
- Publisher
- UBC Press
- Initial publish date
- Jul 2010
- Category
- Native American Studies, Customs & Traditions, Cultural, General
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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
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
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