Welcoming a Complicated Conversation: Teaching About Métis Identity While Upholding Learner Wellness - A Guide For Educators

Abstract

This thesis addresses how to handle teaching environments that involve Métis identity and status. I argue that discussions on Métis identities in Canada need to be conducted carefully and with attention to the mental health needs of learners in relation to their identity positions. The term Métis, and the rights that surround it, has been a subject of intense debate for many years now; legally in both settler colonial and Indigenous systems of law, academically, and in the public domain. This thesis examined the historical and contemporary definitions of Métis status in Canada, with an emphasis on Ontario, in order to illuminate how to approach teaching this content in a sensitive and generative way. This research is meant to act as a balanced, research-informed resource providing content and pedagogical guidance for educators in Canada who are teaching about Métis identity and status. The contribution of this research is in its attention to the mental health and emotional dimensions of such teaching and learning. This research focuses on providing concrete approaches to teaching this sensitive topic that attends to the mental health of people closely affected by the unclear definition of Métis. We should not overlook the emotional challenges that can result from this identity and status debate, including the focus on Western vs. Eastern Métis (also known as the Red River Colony Métis vs. not). Teachers cannot carefully teach about such a complex topic without resources, guidance, and access to a range of perspectives local to their communities. In summary, this research offers a review of policies, literature, and pedagogical materials to shape a historical, legal, and chronological picture as to how this term has changed over the years and how to carefully teach about it now.