Explores the integral roles that Métis women assumed to ensure the survival of their communities during the fur trade era and onward
Métis Matriarchs examines the impact of prominent Métis women from across Western Canada from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, providing a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of these remarkable figures who were recognized as Matriarchs and respected for their knowledge, expertise, and authority within their families and communities.
This edited collection provides an opportunity to learn about the significant contributions made by Métis women during a transitional period in Western Canadian history, as the fur trade gave way to a more sedentary, industrialized, and agrarian economy. Challenging how we think about Western Canadian settlement processes that removed Indigenous peoples from the land, this collection of stories delves into the ways Métis matriarchs responded to colonial and settler colonial interventions into their lives and livelihoods to ultimately ensure their communities' cultural endurance.
Authors
- Pages
- 336
- Published in
- Canada
Table of Contents
- Contents 7
- Acknowledgements 11
- Introduction 13
- Métis Matriarchs Agents of Transition 13
- One 33
- Marie Rose Delorme Smith 33
- Buckskin MaryQueen of the Jughandle 18611960 33
- Two 61
- Remembering and Retelling the Legacies of Métis Women in Alberta 61
- The Life and Memories of Victoria Belcourt Callihoo 61
- Josette Lagacé Work 95
- Strong and Elastic as Steel 95
- Four 133
- Caroline McNabb and Culturally Adaptive Practices of Métis Kinship 133
- Five 165
- She Did Lead a Rough Life but She Lived a Good Life 165
- The Life of Julia Lamotte 165
- Six 189
- On Becoming Sovereign 189
- Generations of Métis Matriarchal Resistance 189
- Seven 227
- Métis Matriarchs in kāministikominahikoskahk Cumberland House 227
- Eight 255
- Activating Lessons of Care from Family Matriarchs 255
- The Social and Political Work of Nora Cummings 255
- Conclusion 293
- About the Contributors 301
- Bibliography 303
- Index 323
