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Metis Stories

Conned out of their Indian Identity

4/4/2019

2 Comments

 
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St. Joseph (Walhalla) is place located in northern North Dakota about 30 miles up the Pembina River. During the 1800s, St. Joe’s was a major settlement for Ojibwe and half-breed (Metis). In a way it served as a hub, with roads radiating in all directions towards various other Indian villages and half-breed settlements. One road lead direct to White Horse Plains; another road lead from St. Joe directly to a portage along the edge of the Pembina Mountains; and other less considerable roads diverge from these main roads towards Turtle Mountain, Devils Lake, and other points across the region. Early censuses showed the majority of the population as French Half-breeds, many of them originating from White Horse Plains, and all of them United States citizens once the border was established.

During the issuance of Manitoba scrip, officials from Canada visited St. Joe and St. John, North Dakota, for the purpose of making enquiry concerning a large number of persons who made applications. The officials determined that many of the people making scrip claims were generally regarded as Indians and were receiving treaty annuities as band members in Canada and the United States, but that these people were enticed to remove themselves from the bands with which they were associated, and instead make applications for grants of scrip. Many were swindled by greedy white land speculators who desired to purchase their scrip and enrich themselves at the expense of the Indians. At first the Indians sold their scrip at very low prices, having no idea of its value; and it was discovered that in many instances the white con men had executed false powers of attorney and stole the scrip, not telling the Indians what would happen to them once they had withdrawn from treaty.

The majority of these newly created “Metis” were, in fact, members of the Pembina Band or else were members of the “St. Peter's Band”, the name of the Peguis First Nation at the time.
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A good number of these people lost their status entirely after this con game and were excluded from future enrollment with the tribes, or else were forced to seek their fortunes elsewhere in Saskatchewan, Montana, and Alberta.

RED MORE AT:  (1887) Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada, Volume 6; Volume 20, Issue 6. By Canada Parliament
2 Comments
Richard Vondal link
4/4/2019 07:32:30 pm

Curious and interested in my heritage which I know very little about. 9/16 Turtle Mountain Chippewa, French, Scottish and Irish as far as I know.

Reply
Margaret Clarke
4/6/2019 09:58:58 am

My understanding is that a high percentage of Turtle Mountain and other communities south of the border were Metis families beginning in the late 18th/early 19th centuries on the plains.
The family is not Indian just because the Americans had them listed as Indian, or not Indian because the Canadians took them off treaty. It was a matter of culture and family affiliations. Families formed clusters that you can see in extended family genealogy. Frequently, families chose to live near reserves, and in the late 19th century, wanted to retake treaty and move onto reserves because Treaty people got benefits that Metis people did not. I heard stories about families in central Saskatchewan who made the decision to get access to schooling.

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