Misconception: Métis equals mixed blood/race (any mixture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous blood/ancestry equals Métis identity). 

Facts:

  • In 2002, the Métis National Council adopted the following national definition for Métis identity:
    • Métis means a person who:
      • self-identifies as Métis,
      • Is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples,
      • Is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry,
      • Is accepted by the Métis Nation.
    • In 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the national definition of Métis and that Métis people have section 35 Aboriginal rights.
  • The ancestors of the Métis Nation were the children of the unions between North American Indigenous mothers and European fathers. They developed into a distinct Indigenous nation in the northwest during the late 18th century.

  • Métis people have a distinct heritage, culture, history, language, customs, and homeland.
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