Research 2006
Proud History, Proud Future
Larry Chartrand
Associate Professor, Politics /
Director, Aboriginal Governance Program
The Cree had a word for the Métis, Otipemisiwak, which means the independent ones. The Métis have always been proud of their independence.
“Métis were very engaged in the fur trade and had to be independent to survive,” says Associate Professor Larry Chartrand. “The value of liberty and independence was so strong it probably became a factor that created unity.”
This unity created the Métis nation in the late 1700s. In part of his research, Chartrand studies historical and modern Aboriginal and Métis self-governance. He is beginning a major research project in collaboration with researchers at other Canadian universities on Aboriginal governance in which Chartrand will focus on Métis governance.
“There’s a lot of research on the history of the Métis, but not so much targeted towards governance,” says Chartrand. “So this is addressing that gap.”
In collaboration with the Manitoba Métis Federation, Chartrand will look for historical evidence of Métis governance prior to European control in the West. He will analyze the types of institutions Métis used, their attitudes towards governance, and any written constitutions. Then, he will evaluate whether his research findings support a claim to self-governance based on the legal tests that have been adopted by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Chartrand will compare governance in western Canadian Métis and Labrador Métis, and study how Métis governance differs from Aboriginal governance. In his initial research, he’s found important differences between Métis and Aboriginal governance, as well as common features.
For example, some Métis communities elected their leaders and legislated written laws, such as the laws of St. Laurent in Saskatchewan, processes that had European origins. However, the laws of St. Laurent were based on the laws of the hunt which came from Cree and Ojibway traditions.
“My research will help Métis get an understanding of their governance history,” says Chartrand, who is a seventh generation Métis. “It will provide guidance for self-governance negotiations that are ongoing with the federal and provincial governments.”
To learn more about his research on Aboriginal governance, contact University of Winnipeg faculty member l.chartrand@uwinnipeg.ca