Faculty of Education | University of Regina | Autumn 2021
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1800s . “ Hearing these stories when you are young , you realize , this is who your family is .” Melanie says , “ That family is large , with many people descending from Cuthbert in the south and Cyprien in the north . I have family everywhere — many cousins as part of a large extended family . There is kinship among community .”
When thinking about how her upbringing gave her a sense of belonging , Melanie quotes bell hooks calling this sense “ a culture of place .” “ All of those experiences growing up ,” she says , “ and knowing you are related to so many people , shapes your understanding of how you see yourself and your place in the world , and the willingness you have to get to know other people and work with other people .”
The Misconceptions Around the Term “ Métis ”
“ We are a distinct people with a distinct culture .”
Misunderstandings and misconceptions exist around the term , “ Métis .” Melanie says , “ I get frustrated when I tell somebody I ’ m Métis and they automatically think that means ‘ mixed ’ or worse , the derogatory ‘ half breed .’
We are a distinct people with a distinct culture . We are our own , not half of anything !”
A pan-Indigenous misconception of what it means to be Métis has also been an issue . Melanie says , “ I ’ ve been questioned my entire life about my identity .” However , Melanie looks at the questions she is asked , “ Not as a challenge but as an opportunity to be able to share with people what it means to be Métis ,” she says , adding that there are many variables involved in claiming the identity , not the least of which is to have connection with your community . “ We have a nation . I don ’ t say I ’ m a member of the Métis . I ’ m a citizen in the Métis Nation . There is more than just genealogy and being accepted by a community . You also need to give back ,” says Melanie .
The Importance and Activities of the Gabriel Dumont Research Chair in Métis / Michif Education
Melanie feels excited and thankful about being the first Chair : “ I ’ m thankful to the Dean and GDI . Without the work they did , this Chair wouldn ’ t be possible ,” she says . There have been similar chairs in Métis studies , in history and Indigenous studies , but this is the first in education .
It ’ s important , Melanie says , because “ of the impact that education has on change , changing lives , influencing how we see ourselves and others .” Melanie hopes to bring a stronger Métis presence into curriculum , “ impacting www2 . uregina . ca / education / news