MÉTIS CULTURE • FOOD

MÉTIS CULTURE • FOOD Learning goal: To develop awareness of traditional food of Métis peoples and its importance in present day through nutritional value and/or transmitting culture/heritage. [...] Watch the MNO Métis Traditional Healthy Eating Video, youtube.com/watch?v=xuQkNlWXsLk How does the harvesting of food help Métis people to feel in touch with the land? How does eating food that is fresh from the land, lake or air make you feel? How did knowledge handed down through the generations give many Métis people the ability to live off the land (e.g., hunting, fishing, trapping, and gather. [...] How, and why, were traditional foods of Métis people different in different geographic areas (e.g., different parts of Ontario and Canada)? Traditionally, how did different fur trade roles impact the foods that were eaten by Métis (e.g., Métis voyageurs in canoe brigades eating pemmican vs. [...] Métis with a role at a supply depot eating wild game)? Why was pemmican important? How did pemmican production impact the political and economic position of the Métis during the fur trade? Do Métis people today eat traditional Métis foods? Why or why not? Identify specific foods that are served for special Métis occasions today (e.g., Métis harvest celebrations). [...] Why is it important to Métis people for there to be a sustainable approach to harvesting? Why are Métis people vulnerable to environmental factors and competing uses of the land? Assessment Do It: (75 minutes) Food Lab: In small groups, select a recipe to prepare.