MATTAWA NIPISSING MÉTIS HISTORICAL RESEARCH PROJECT FINAL SYNTHESIS REPORT SUBMITTED TO: THE STEERING COMMITTEE SUBMITTED ON: MAY 5, 2015 SYNTHESIS REPORT THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED BY STONE CIRCLE CONSULTING AND KNOW HISTORY. DISCLAIMER: THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE FINDING OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS. IN NO WAY DO THESE FINDINGS REPRESENT THE VIEWS OR OPINIONS OF THE RESEARCH PARTNERS GROUP OR STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 2 SYNTHESIS REPORT Contents 1 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. 8 2 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 12 2.1.2 Report Contents .................................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Terminology ................................................................................................................................ 13 2.2.1 Métis ................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2.2 The Fur Trade Matrix .......................................................................................................... 16 2.2.3 Sauvage ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.4 Fluidity of Identity Labels .................................................................................................... 17 2.2.5 Community .......................................................................................................................... 17 2.3 Geography ................................................................................................................................... 18 3 Research Questions ............................................................................................................................ 22 3.1 Arrival of Europeans .................................................................................................................... 22 3.2 “Métis” from Early Contact ......................................................................................................... 23 3.3 Ethnogenesis and In‐migration ................................................................................................... 24 3.4 Ethnogenesis Elsewhere ............................................................................................................. 24 3.5 Ethnogenesis through Merger .................................................................................................... 25 3.6 Names of Mixed‐ancestry ........................................................................................................... 26 3.7 Genealogy from 1850 – 1920 ...................................................................................................... 36 3.8 Individuals Appearing on the Algonquin List .............................................................................. 36 3.9 Self and Outside Ascription ......................................................................................................... 39 3.10 Community Identifiers ................................................................................................................ 40 3.10.1 Economic activities and institutions; .................................................................................. 40 3.10.2 Settlement and movement patterns; ................................................................................. 41 3.10.3 Political formations and institutions; .................................................................................. 42 3.10.4 Religious or spiritual practices and institutions; ................................................................. 43 3.10.5 Social relations (e.g. kinship systems); ................................................................................ 44 3.10.6 Language(s); ........................................................................................................................ 45 3.10.7 Forms of cultural expression ............................................................................................... 45 3.10.8 Other customs, practices or traditions? ............................................................................. 46 3.11 Shared History ............................................................................................................................. 46 3 SYNTHESIS REPORT 3.12 Mixed Ancestry Connections ...................................................................................................... 47 4 Historical Narrative ............................................................................................................................ 48 4.1 Contact to 1784 ........................................................................................................................... 48 4.2 NWC, HBC and the Fur Trade Matrix .......................................................................................... 50 4.3 Aboriginal Participation in the Ottawa River Fur Trade .............................................................. 59 4.4 The Establishment of Mattawa ................................................................................................... 61 4.5 Arrival of the Retired Traders ..................................................................................................... 63 4.6 Other Economies ......................................................................................................................... 69 4.7 Guiding ........................................................................................................................................ 71 4.8 Settlement Living ........................................................................................................................ 76 4.9 Religion and Missionaries’ Observations .................................................................................... 78 5 Appendix 1: List of “Metis” Definitions circa. 1816 ........................................................................... 85 6 Appendix 2: Family History Sheets ..................................................................................................... 88 6.1 Antoine ........................................................................................................................................ 88 6.2 Atkinson ...................................................................................................................................... 90 6.3 Bastien ......................................................................................................................................... 92 6.4 Bernard ....................................................................................................................................... 94 6.5 Clement ....................................................................................................................................... 95 6.6 Colton .......................................................................................................................................... 95 6.7 Commandant / Grandlouis .......................................................................................................... 96 6.8 Commandant‐Grandlouis ............................................................................................................ 98 6.9 Crawford ..................................................................................................................................... 98 6.10 Dufault‐Dufond ......................................................................................................................... 100 6.11 Dufond ...................................................................................................................................... 101 6.12 Dorion ....................................................................................................................................... 103 6.13 Dupuis ....................................................................................................................................... 104 6.14 Dupuis 2 .................................................................................................................................... 105 6.15 England/McConnel .................................................................................................................... 106 6.16 England ...................................................................................................................................... 106 6.17 Ferris ......................................................................................................................................... 107 6.18 Gagnon ...................................................................................................................................... 108 6.19 Ignace ........................................................................................................................................ 108 4 SYNTHESIS REPORT 6.20 Ignace 2 ....................................................................................................................................