ORCADIA-L Archives

Archiver > ORCADIA > 2005-10 > 1130418869


From: stephen davie <>
Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] Orcadian Winters !!!!!!!!
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 09:15:17 -0700
In-Reply-To: <71C8D355F8AB89F46B601A80F24504F9@i_eat_moose.moose-mail.com>


Good Question, thanks.

A Metis is a person of mixed heritage, including North American Native
Indian. Originally the term was thought to mean "French and Indian"
heritage, but the non-native component is not restricted to those with
French heritage. Many Orcadians who came to the North West with the
Hudson's Bay Company took native wives or "country wives" as they were
referred to by the company. Their offspring being metis, and of both
cultures, were excellent employees for the company. Many Orcadians
returned to Orkney after their contracts were completed, with their
country wives and half breed children in tow. If fact, special
arrangements at one point were apparently established for their
children to be educated. While in Orkney in June, I met a relative of
lady friend of mine who was visibly native, but had a stiff Orcadian
accent, and had never been to Canada. Others in Orkney share this
background. Often untold of this truth, thousands in Canada are
undeclared or yet undetermined metis.

An historic distant relative of mine was Orcadian Joseph Isbister. He
worked in the early 1700's in Fort Albany, which was the first Hudson's
Bay Company trading post on the Hudson Bay (James Bay actually). He
took a country wife who bore him a son named Alexander. Joseph moved to
Fort York when it was built, and became the factor there. His son
Alexander was sent to Scotland to school, where he became indeed a
lawyer. He used his considerable social contacts as a "unique"
offspring of the new country, to better the fortunes of metis employees
of the HBC.

According to your description of your heritage, you qualify as a metis.
Here you would upon proof receive a metis card, acknowledging your
status. In Canada, especially in the older families and particularly
among the French, there are a lot of metis that remain "undeclared."
That was my situation until I was 47 years old. The native element in
mixed relationships watered down and was allowed to disappear, if that
is the correct way of saying it. People tended not to tell their
children, oftentimes, of their native roots. For there was a social
stigma. And until 1967 as an example, native Canadians were not allowed
to vote in the Province of Quebec. The prejudices didn't stop or start
there either. so mixed blood heritage was a "hush" thing.

One chap whom you I am certain will find most interesting and who
reads this website, is Bob Rock. Bob lives in Saskatchewan, and he is a
Metis guy with Orcadian roots that run deep. He is an impassioned and
enthusiastic great grandson of a very famous Canadian Metis, and
descended from Magnus Twatt from Orkney. Bob has just now completed the
first of his films, this initial one being kind of a topic "opener' if
that is the correct terminology, which hopefully will lead to a series
on Orkney Metis Canadian history. His first dvd is now available, just,
and is entitled VIKINGS TO METIS...ORKNEY CANADA CONNECTIONS. It will
be aired this winter in western Canada and hopefully elsewhere. IN
FACT, IF ANYONE LISTENING WOULD KNOW HOW TO DO IT, BOB'S FILM WOLD BE
GREAT FOR ORKNEY T.V. He can be contacted, or a copy purchased through
Barb Miller, his assistant at <>. I have spoken to Bob
several times on the phone and if his film is as stimulating and
compelling as his conversations are, it will be a great film on a topic
of interest to many here and around the world. He was educated at
Queens University, and he gave me a some blunt and honest, very helpful
advice on my wee project too.

Best of Luck over there this winter. (I hope to go over too.)

Stephen


On Wednesday, October 26, 2005, at 05:59 PM, Michelle Therese Choza
wrote:

> "Whoopee, another metis! That makes four since I started exchanging on
> this site.Countin' me that's five! We are survivors."
>
> What is a metis????
>
>
> "I will give everything to Jesus. When I have nothing to give, I'll
> give Him this nothing."
> -Saint Therese
>
> Tell Congress: Don't abandon pets in disasters!
> http://go.care2.com/50041
>
> http://www.Care2.com Free e-mail. 100MB storage. Helps charities.
>
>
> ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ====
> To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the
> word
> 'unsubscribe' in the message body to
>

This thread: