Author: louisrielinsti

Flags have traditionally been important symbols uniting a nation’s people. During the course of their cultural development the Métis people have created and recognized several flags, two of which are most prominent.

Both of the two most common Métis flags feature the infinity sign. Like all great symbols, the infinity sign is open to varying interpretations. Some say it is represents the Métis as the distinctive unification of two peoples, the European and Indian. Others claim that infinity represents that the Métis nation is robust and adaptable and will survive forever.

The variation on the Métis flags featuring the infinity sign is the background colour, either red or blue. Some historical interpretations claim that the red background represents the colours of the Hudson’s Bay Company; while the blue background represents the Northwest Company. However, the red and blue suggest other symbolic connections as well. For example, the blue and white combination are similar to both Scotland’s national flag, and are also the traditional colours of Quebec. Whatever the interpretation, Métis organizations commonly fly either the red or the blue infinity versions of the flag to symbolize their community.

The Métis are an incredibly adaptive and resourceful people, who adapted European technology to make life more efficient and effective on the harsh prairies. Major Métis innovations included the York boat and the Red River cart, as well as many other creations that assisted prairie living.

The York boat replaced the freighter canoe as the major carrier of goods over water during the fur trade era. These boats were faster, used less manpower, and carried larger loads than the freighter canoes they replaced.

YORK BOAT

The York boat was a modification of the fishing boats used by the inhabitants of the Orkney Islands. Almost 13 meters long, a York boat could carry almost six tons of cargo. The standard crew on a York boat included 18 men, 16 of whom were rowers. The two others crew included a helmsman, who called out the rowing instructions, and someone to steer using the rudder. The boat also included a large sail that was used when winds were favourable. The York boat was an optimal size, in that it could both carry a large capacity of cargo, yet was still portable. The portability of the York boats meant it could be portaged from one body of water to another or around rapids or other obstacles.

RED RIVER CART

The other major Métis innovation in the field of transportation was the Red River cart. The invention of the Red River cart resolved a practical challenge: how to transport large amounts and heavy weights of buffalo meat and furs over the prairie landscape, that was strewn with bumps, creeks and rivers.

Red River carts were constructed of wood bound together with wet rawhide which, when dry, became iron-hard. The wheels of the cart were of large diameter so they would roll easily over impediments. The wheels were also broad and rounded so they would not cut too deeply into the soil and become inefficient to move. Over the axel of the cart a box was mounted to be filled with the large volume of meat, furs, and other goods for transport. The wheels of the cart were readily removed when rivers had to be forged; allowing the cart to act as a barge.

From the front of the cart extended two poles and a leather harness, so that the cart could be equipped with an ox or other traction animal. With this pulling power, large loads could be moved. Often loads approached a thousand pounds were transported distances of up to twenty miles daily.

Beyond these two major innovations, the Métis created many others during their period of the prairie. One example is their fancy saddles and horse riding techniques. Métis saddles were renowned for the colourful beadwork decoration. As expert horsemen, the Métis taught their horses fancy, dance-like steps, that today are incorporated in the famous R.C.M.P. musical ride.

With a similar flair for the artistic, Métis created variations on the theme of hair-braiding introduced to them by the Europeans. This hairstyle was adopted from the Métis by Indians.

The Métis also created valuable innovations on standard log building construction techniques, producing their own styles of notches and framing techniques. Together these innovations were so distinctive that they were labeled the Red River style of construction.

With the westward expansion of the fur trade in the late 1700s and the beginning settlement of the New World , many changes occurred. The fur bearing animal population in the eastern territory had been sharply reduced and the market demand of furs in Europe had dropped dramatically. It was during this time that the horse was introduced on the prairies: causing a dramatic change in the lifestyle for the Indian and Métis peoples. The horse opened up the possibility of following the buffalo and increasing hunting territories. Hunters no longer needed to herd the buffalo into pounds and enclosures or run them over cliffs. The hunters could now chase the herd and shoot from horseback and increase the number of animals they could harvest. Dogs and cariolles gave way to horses and Red River carts as the means of transporting larger quantities of goods.

The Métis Nation became a dominant force on the plains during the late 1700s and way into the 1800s. They were a highly organized body of people. They enacted laws, rules and regulations around the buffalo hunt which later became the “Laws of the Prairie” and the beginning of law enforcement in the area, subsequently adopted by the North West Mounted Police. The initiation of these laws brought the Métis Nation the solidifying process of self-government.

The hunt involved organizing hundreds of men, women, children, Red River carts and horses for the westward journeys extending hundreds of miles to where the buffalo grazed. On the return trip, tons of processed buffalo meat and hides had to be transported. The buffalo hunts provided the Métis with an impressive organizational structure and by 1820 was a permanent feature of life for all individuals on or near the Red River and other Métis communities.

There were usually two organized hunts each year: one in the Spring and one in the Autumn. The buffalo hunts of this time were carried out through almost militaristic precision and the combined force of a Métis hunt was larger than any other force of its time.

After the first day of travel through the dust raised by 1,240 carts and 1,630 Métis; camp was made.  The first organizational meeting for the hunt would be held and a President would be selected. A number of captains were nominated by the President and the people jointly. The captains then proceeded to appoint their own policemen, the number assigned to each not exceeding ten. Their duty was to see that the Laws of the Hunt were strictly carried out. Guides were responsible for the camp flag that remained raised until it was time to settle for the night. At the end of the day the captains took charge. At night the carts were placed in the form of a circle with the horses and cattle inside the ring. It was the duty of the captains and their policemen to see that this was rightly done. The Métis buffalo hunters camped in tipis. The difference between a Métis tipi and their Indian cousins was a lack of decoration. All camping orders were given by a flag signal. Each guide had his turn of one day. When the buffalo were spotted, all the hunters were drawn up in line, the President, captains, and police being a few yards in advance. No one would proceed until the President gave the signal, waiting for the buffalo to be in the best location possible. A priest sometimes went with the hunt and mass would be celebrated on the open prairies.

The Métis fiercely guarded their customary rights to hunt and trade freely throughout the Prairies. Besides being an important food-gathering activity and a commercial endeavour, the hunt was a social occasion that brought together families who saw each other only a few times a year. Every Spring and Autumn, as many as 1,600 people would gather at Pembina, on the Red River , to elect a provisional government. Mounted scouting parties maintained order within the temporary community, enforcing compliance with the strict Laws of the Hunt and providing protection from attacks by rival groups, such as the Dakotas .

The hunting technique used by the Métis differed considerably from that of their Indian ancestors. Instead of driving bison off cliffs or into pounds and enclosures, they used horses and firearms. Creating a stampede, the hunters ran their horses into the herd and selected the animals they wanted to kill, firing point-blank at full gallop. An experienced hunter on a well-trained horse could down ten to twelve bisons in a two-hour run. Buffalo hunting expanded across the Prairies in the 1840s.

The 1840 hunt (begun in early June), covered 250 miles in nineteen days before the first buffalo were spotted. The party included 620 men, 650 women, 360 children, 586 oxen, 655 cart horses, and 403 ‘buffalo runners’ (fast horses). In other words, more than one-third of the Red River settlement packed up their belongings and set off on a dangerous expedition that would last for months. By the time the hunt ended on August 17th, it had captured over a million pounds of meat and hides-all of which had to be transported back to the Red River settlements.

The meat fed Métis families, white colonists and fur traders. Once back at the Red River, the Métis returned to their individual river lots to take up other activities, including: trapping, hunting, transporting good for the fur companies, gardening, farming, fishing, harvesting wild rice, building carts, making clothing, collecting lime, limestone, maple sugar, salt and seneca root.

The Plains Indians also hunted the buffalo and as the herds declined, conflict erupted between the Indians and Métis. In the mid-1840s and in 1859 the Métis successfully fought the Sioux for control of the hunt in what is today North Dakota. The Sioux retaliated by setting prairie fires which drove the buffalo away and kept the Métis out. Eventually the Métis and the Sioux concluded these problems with a peace treaty.

Red River hunters recognized two grand divisions of buffalo, those of the Grand Coteau and Red River, and those of the Saskatchewan . Other ranges of immense herds existed beyond the Missouri towards the south, as far as Texas and Mexico.

Some who participated in the northern hunts preferred to stay out on the Prairie in winter camps: these men and their families were known as hiverants. Roughly thirty such settlements have been found in Alberta , Saskatchewan and Montana . Their small villages consisted of about forty or fifty rough hewn, flat sod roofed cabins. These villages became more settled year round after the rebellion in Manitoba and the dispersal of the Métis there.

Among their many other names, the Métis were also known as the “Buffalo Hunters” . During the late 1700s and early 1800s, the Métis Nation established themselves as the processors and suppliers of Pemmican to the new world. The nation’s gross national product from this source was larger than either fledgling nation of Canada or the United States.

Although the Métis sustained themselves in a variety of ways (such as fishing, trapping for furs, practicing small-scale agriculture and working as wage labourers for the Hudson’s Bay Company) they were first and foremost buffalo hunters. The buffalo herds were their major source of subsistence and trade goods. Every summer, and again in the fall, hundreds of Métis families with their Red River carts, horses, oxen and dogs set out for the buffalo plains of North Dakota. These buffalo hunting expeditions were carefully organized and became the foundation of Métis government. A leader of the hunt was selected, scouts were chosen and rules were arranged before the expedition ever set forth.

The great size of these hunting expeditions has drawn comment. Alexander Ross, a resident of the Red River settlement, writing in 1856, felt that the camp of the 1840 hunt covered an area equal to that of a modern city. This particular expedition contained 620 men, 650 women, 360 children and 1,210 Red River carts. This hunt was by no means the largest Red River hunt ever assembled.

The North American Plains buffalo was a creature ideally suited to the central grassland areas of North America. They wandered in huge herds (estimated in the millions) north-south or east-west. Their range of territory was anywhere the grass grew. The buffalo was considered a very sacred animal by all Aboriginal people of the Plains. The buffalo was their main source of food, clothing, household articles, and in the case of the Métis, their livelihood.

All parts of the animal were used and many parts had many uses:

Rawhide

Containers, Shields, Buckets, Moccasin, Soles, Drums, Splints, Mortars, Cinches, Ropes, Sheaths, Saddles, Blankets, Stirrups, Bull Boats, Masks, Parfleche, Ornaments, Lariats, Straps, Caps, Quirts, Snowshoes, Shroud

Buckskin

Cradles, Moccasin, Tops, Winter, Robes, Bedding, Shirts, Belts, Leggings, Dresses, Bags, Quivers, Tipi, Covers, Tipi, Liners, Bridles, Backrests, Tapestries, Sweatlodge

Hair

Headdresses, Pad, Fillers, Pillows, Ropes, Ornaments, Hair, Pieces, Halters, Bracelets, Medicine, Balls, Moccasin, Lining, Doll, Stuffing, Amulets, Bridle, Decorations

Bones

Fleshing, Tools, Pipes, Knives, Arrowheads, Shovels, Splints, Sleds, Saddle, Trees, War, Clubs, Scrapers, Quirts, Awls, Paintbrushes, Game, Dice, Tableware

Horns

Arrow, Points, Cups, Fire, Carrier, Powderhorn, Spoons, Ladles, Headdresses, Toys

Paunch and Stomach Linings

Meat, Wrappings, Buckets, Cups, Basins, Canteen, Bowls, Containers

Tail

Medicine, Switch, Fly, brush, Decorations, Whips, Toys, Jewellry

Fat

Tallow, Soap, Hair, Grease, Cosmetics, Cooking, Medicines

Skull

Masks, Medicine, Prayers, Rituals, Sun, dance, Decoration

Muscles

Glue, Thread, Arrow, ties, Cinches, Bow, strings

Hooves, Feet, Dewclaws

Glue, Rattles, Decorations, Rituals, Spoons

Beard

Ornamentation, Toys, Doll, Decoration, Rituals, Masks

Food

Pemmican, Sausages, Jerky, Blood, pudding, Soup

Bladder

Pouches, Bags, Medicine

Chips

Fuel, Diaper, Powder

Teeth

Ornamentation

Tongue

Comb, Choice, Food

Brain and Liver

Hide, Preparation, Tanning

Scrotum

Rattles, Containers

Tendons

Sewing, Bow, Strings

Paints

Blood, (Red/brown), Gall, (Yellow), Stomach, Contents

Hind Leg Skin

Preshaped moccasin

No wonder Aboriginal people thought this animal was sacred and little wonder their lives where impacted and almost destroyed by the decline and eventual extermination of the Plains Buffalo.

Métis people were very familiar with the way of the New World and how to capitalize on the needs of the people. They had been brought up and created through the fur trade.

The Métis had forged and changed the very presence of the companies entering this arena and had opened their own trading company in the 1700s (The NorthWest Company). It’s not surprising that the Métis dominated in the Pemmican trade in the late 1700s and into the 1800s: beginning with their organization of the buffalo hunt and institution of Laws of the Prairies.

The Métis are famous for their fiddle music. Fiddles were introduced to the Métis by the Scots and French. Métis instruments, however, were more often made than purchased, since maple and birch woods were more readily available than the cash to purchase complete instruments. Most often the sound of the Métis fiddle is accompanied by the clap of sound from spoons and the drumming rhythms derived from a large tin pan. It was also common for the performer to provide rhythm by using his or her heels.

The Métis style of fiddle music is distinctive. The bottom string is often tuned up a tone from G to A. It is based on syncopation and extra beats, which give the music a “bounce” when played and heard. The music is typically played up-tempo and has a routine back beat. These features make the performance of waltzes and reels distinctive, and particularly suitable for dancing.

Like so much of Métis culture, Métis dance is a creative blend of European (French, Scotch, and Irish) and Indian heritage. The most distinctive of the Métis dance creations is the Red River Jig. This jig is a special fiddle tune that is danced in two parts. In one part, a traditional jig step is performed while the fiddle plays a high section. When the fiddle switches to a lower section, the second fancy footwork part of the dance is performed. It is common for this energetic jig to be played, while dancers compete with one another to dance the most quick, complicated footwork.

 

If you would like to submit a recipe please email through our contact page.

Li Gallette – Bannock

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2-cup lard

1 1/2 cups cold water

Mix

Knead 5 to 8 minutes

Roll 1/2 thick

Bake at 375° F until done

Meatballs (Boullettes)

2 lbs lean hamburger

2 medium onions

diced salt

pepper

2 tbsp flour

Mix hamburger, onions and flour

Season to taste with salt and pepper

Make into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter

Place in pot of boiling water for about 1 hour.

Barley Soup

Simmer soup bones, boiling beef or chunks of wild meat in water, with onions, a bit of salt and pepper until meat is tender and broth is good. Add barley, small chunks of carrot and potatoes and continue to simmer for at least another hour, eat and enjoy!

Classic Métis Soup

Sauté ground or chunks of meat with diced onions, celery, carrots and potatoes, when cooked, add water, a bit of macaroni, a can of tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper and simmer for another half an hour. It’s very good with bannock.

Soupe au Pois – Pea Soup

Simmer ham bone or chunks of ham in water with finely diced onions, split green or yellow peas until everything is tender. Add diced carrot for colour and simmer for another half hour, salt and pepper to taste.

Soupe au Bean – Bean Soup

Soak white beans overnight, drain and add fresh water, a bit of salt pork, or ham bone, onion and simmer for a few hours, very basic, very good!

Wild Rice and Prairie Chicken (Partridge)

1 cup cooked wild rice

1/2 cup margarine

breast of one partridge

1/4 cup onion minced

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 can chopped mushrooms

season with salt, pepper and season salt.

Fry onions, celery and mushrooms in margarine until lightly browned. Add all ingredients. Cook about 10 minutes (you can add soy sauce if you wish). Stuff partridge with wild rice mixture and wrap partridge in tin foil. Roast until done.

Boulette Soup

Get a pot and peel and cube about 3 inches worth of potatoes into the pot. Chop some onions and put in with the potatoes as you like. Sprinkle some salt over it and cover the mixture with water. Take some lean ground beef and put it in a bowl and sprinkle in salt and pepper to your liking. If you like garlic, add about 2 tsp of crushed garlic. Make little boulettes (meatballs) about the size of a spoon. Add your boulettes (meatballs) to the pot and cover until it starts boiling. Lower the temperature and let simmer stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are done and the boulettes (meatballs) are cooked thoroughly and you do not see any pink in the middle of the boulettes (meatballs). You will then add milk and pepper to make a nice base for the soup. To thicken the soup you will mix 4 t.b.s.p of flour with a ¼ cup of water. Stir the paste into the soup and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with bannock.

Saskatoon Jelly

3 cups of berry juice, ½ cup of lemon juice, 7 ½ cups of sugar, 1 bottle of liquid pectin (certo). Clean and prepare berries. Place about 4 lb. in kettle and crush. Heat gently until juice starts to flow and then simmer covered for 15 minutes. Place in jelly cloth and squeeze out juice. Squeeze and strain juice from 4 lemons and put aside. To make jelly – measure sugar and juice into a large saucepan and mix. Add lemon juice and combine well. Bring to a boil over high heat and all at once, add pectin, stirring constantly, then bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim and pour quickly into sterilized jars and seal.

Tourtiere (meat pie)

Pastry: 5 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 lb of lard, 1 cup of hot water, 4 teaspoons of vinegar, 1 well-beaten egg. Measure flour, salt and baking powder into large bowl. Stir together to distribute all ingredients. Add lard. Cut into pieces with knife. With pastry cutter, cut in lard until whole mixture is crumbly. Mix hot water, vinegar and well-beaten egg together. Pour slowly over flour mixture stirring with fork to distribute. With your hands, work until it holds nicely together. Filling: 5 lbs of ground pork, 2 lbs of lean ground beef, 6 medium onions, salt and pepper to taste, and 3 garlic cloves Place all ingredients into extra large saucepan. Add water to cover about 3/4 of the meat mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cool slightly. Line pie with pastry. Fill with meat mixture. Dampen outer edge with water. Cover with pastry (make slits in top crust). Press edges to seal. Bake in 350 F oven until golden brown. These freeze well and may be left in the freezer for 4-5 months. This recipe makes approximately 7 pies.

Indian Relish

12 large tomatoes, 12 large apples, 9 medium onions, 3 cups sugar, 1 pint vinegar, 1 tsp. Pepper, ½ tsp. Celery salt, ½ tsp. Clovers, 1 tsp cinnamon, mixed spiec and ½ cup of salt. Blend all ingredients. Cook until thick. Seal in sterile jars.

Pouchine au Sac – Pudding in a bag

½ cup of beef suet, chopped fine and free from skin, ½ cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of raisins, ½ cup of currants, 1 teaspoon of pastry spice, 2 cups of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, ¾ cup of milk. Mix all dry ingredients together and add milk. Pour mixture in a 5 lbs. cotton bag or 2, 1 qt. sealers. Fill jars half full and serve with sauce. Sauce: ½ cup of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1 cup of boiling water, 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of lemon extract, ½ teaspoon of vanilla.

Onion Stuffing

2 1/2 quarts toasted bread crumbs (measure after toasting) 1 1/4 cups butter or margarine 1/3 cup minced onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 tbsp. dried parsley leaves 2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Stuff the wild goose lightly and crop cavity of a large. into the body and crop cavity of a large wild goose, ready to cook.

Spiced Venison Roast

5 pound venison roast 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. ginger 1 tbsp. sugar 2 bay leaves 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. vinegar 2 cups tomato juice 2 onions, chopped 1/2 tsp. pepper

Brown roast. Combine remaining ingredients. Add cover and cook 3 hours in a moderate oven, or until done. Serves 8.

Trout Sandwich Filling

1 cup flaked trout 1/4 cup mayo 1/2 of a green pepper cut very thin Salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients together well. Ready for sandwiches.

Rose Hip Jam

Note: Do not gather berries until after the first frost and preserve the same day as picked. Boil 4 cups of berries with 2 1/2 cups of water until the berries are tender. Force through a sieve to remove seeds. Add 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of pulp. Mix thoroughly and bring to simmer slowly. Cook for 10 mins. Bottle. A layer of sugar spinkled on the top helps to improve the flavour.

Flax Seed Tea Home Remedy (try at your own risk)

Make a tea that sooths a bad cough. Put 2 tbsp. of whole flax seed into a teapot and add a slice of lemon and a pint of boiling water. Steep, strain and sweeten with honey.

Elk Burger Dumpling Stew

1 1/2 lbs. lean elk, ground 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper onion juice 1/3 cup fat 1 tbsp. flour 2 cups hot water 1 cup tomato juice 1 tbsp. chilli sauce 1 recipe dumplings

Mix elk with salt, pepper and onion juice, shape lightly into small cakes and sear in fat in hot frying pan until well browned; remove cakes. Stir flour into dumplings in pan, add water, tomato juice and chilli sauce and bring to a boil. Return cakes to pan and drop 1 tbsp. dumpling mixture ontop of each, cover tightly and cook 10 minutes. Approximate yield: 6 portions.

Cornstarch Blancmange (Cornstarch Pudding)

3 tablespoons of cornstarch 2 to 4 tablespoons of sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups of milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt with 1/2 cold milk. Scald remaining milk in a double boiler. Add cornstarch mixture gradually to scalded milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened and smooth. Cover and cook 25 mins. Stirring occasionally. Cool and add vanilla. Serve hot or cold. If you would like you can use brown sugar to make it taste like caramel or you can use coco to make chocolate pudding.

Wild Rice and Cheese Casserole

1 cup of Wild Rice 3 cups of water 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup of grated cheese 1/4 teaspoon of salt 3 cups of sliced mushrooms 3 tablespoons of butter 1 can (19oz) stewed tomatoes Wash the rice under cold water. Put the rice into 3 cups of water and parboil for 5 minutes. Let soak in the same water for one hour. Cook rice in boiling water for an additional 20 minutes. Drain rice if necessary. Sauté onion and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Toss all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Pemmican

2 lbs. of lean buffalo or beef 1/4 cup dried berries (blueberries or saskatoons) 5 tablespoons of animal fat

Cut the meat into long strips and hang in the sun to dry for several days. When completely dry, pound each strip until broken into flakes then mix together the flakes and dried berries. The meat, berries and melted fat can be mixed into a bowl. When the fat has cooled the ingredients can be rolled into large balls and stored into plastic bags. Pemmican can be eaten as is, cooked like hamburger, or boiled with flour and water to make soup.

Roasted Muskrat

Remove the ribs, head and white gland (sacs) from around the back legs. Boil water and place the muskrat in the boiling water until they are cooked. Remove the muskrat and heat a frying pan with lard. Place the muskrat in the frying pan and add salt and pepper for taste.

During the period of the fur trade, a principal Métis food source was the buffalo, around whom much of the traditional Métis lifestyle revolved. The consumption of buffalo was supplemented by other wild game and plants. Commonly consumed game included moose, elk, deer, rabbits, upland game, ducks, and geese. Where available, fish were common in the diet. Wild berries and other plants were also enjoyed.

A central Métis food product was pemmican. Pemmican was the product of a preparation of buffalo meat. To produce pemmican, buffalo meat was cut into long strips and dried. The drying process occurred over an open fire, with the meat on racks, or through a sun-drying process during which the meat was hung on willow racks. When dried, the buffalo meat was pounded into granular form and placed into bags made of hide. Hot buffalo fat was then poured into the bags and mixed with the meat granuals. To add flavour to this mixture, wild berries were often added. The product in the bags was then sealed in the bags by sewing them shut. When cooled, the result was pemmican. Pemmican was an extremely nutritious, filling food that was easily transported on the trail, which took years to spoil.

Pemmican Recipe

2 lbs. of lean buffalo or beef

1/4 cup dried berries (blueberries or saskatoons)

5 tablespoons of animal fat

Cut the meat into long strips and hang in the sun to dry for several days. When completely dry, pound each strip until broken into flakes then mix together the flakes and dried berries. The meat, berries and melted fat can be mixed into a bowl. When the fat has cooled the ingredients can be rolled into large balls and stored in plastic bags. Pemmican can be eaten as is, cooked like hamburger, or boiled with flour and water to make soup.

The Métis were the people that bridged and merged Indian and European cultures in the West. Such fusion occurred at the level of food, in the form of bannock. Bannock, also known as “campfire bread”, was an integration of traditional Scottish bread and Indian fry bread. Bannock was a “quick bread” that was cooked in a skillet over an open fire. It became a food staple in the West because of its ease of preparation, transportability, ability to last a long time without spoiling, and effect of filling the stomach to satisfaction.

Next >

During the period of the fur trade, a principal Métis food source was the buffalo, around whom much of the traditional Métis lifestyle revolved. The consumption of buffalo was supplemented by other wild game and plants. Commonly consumed game included moose, elk, deer, rabbits, upland game, ducks, and geese. Where available, fish were common in the diet. Wild berries and other plants were also enjoyed.

Read more

Recipes

If you would like to submit a recipe please email through our contact page.

Li Gallette – Bannock

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2-cup lard

1 1/2 cups cold water

Mix

Knead 5 to 8 minutes

Roll 1/2 thick

Bake at 375° F until done

Meatballs (Boullettes)

2 lbs lean hamburger

2 medium onions

diced salt

pepper

2 tbsp flour

Mix hamburger, onions and flour

Season to taste with salt and pepper

Make into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter

Place in pot of boiling water for about 1 hour.

Barley Soup

Simmer soup bones, boiling beef or chunks of wild meat in water, with onions, a bit of salt and pepper until meat is tender and broth is good. Add barley, small chunks of carrot and potatoes and continue to simmer for at least another hour, eat and enjoy!

Classic Métis Soup

Sauté ground or chunks of meat with diced onions, celery, carrots and potatoes, when cooked, add water, a bit of macaroni, a can of tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper and simmer for another half an hour. It’s very good with bannock.

Soupe au Pois – Pea Soup

Simmer ham bone or chunks of ham in water with finely diced onions, split green or yellow peas until everything is tender. Add diced carrot for colour and simmer for another half hour, salt and pepper to taste.

Soupe au Bean – Bean Soup

Soak white beans overnight, drain and add fresh water, a bit of salt pork, or ham bone, onion and simmer for a few hours, very basic, very good!

Wild Rice and Prairie Chicken (Partridge)

1 cup cooked wild rice

1/2 cup margarine

breast of one partridge

1/4 cup onion minced

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 can chopped mushrooms

season with salt, pepper and season salt.

Fry onions, celery and mushrooms in margarine until lightly browned. Add all ingredients. Cook about 10 minutes (you can add soy sauce if you wish). Stuff partridge with wild rice mixture and wrap partridge in tin foil. Roast until done.

Boulette Soup

Get a pot and peel and cube about 3 inches worth of potatoes into the pot. Chop some onions and put in with the potatoes as you like. Sprinkle some salt over it and cover the mixture with water. Take some lean ground beef and put it in a bowl and sprinkle in salt and pepper to your liking. If you like garlic, add about 2 tsp of crushed garlic. Make little boulettes (meatballs) about the size of a spoon. Add your boulettes (meatballs) to the pot and cover until it starts boiling. Lower the temperature and let simmer stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are done and the boulettes (meatballs) are cooked thoroughly and you do not see any pink in the middle of the boulettes (meatballs). You will then add milk and pepper to make a nice base for the soup. To thicken the soup you will mix 4 t.b.s.p of flour with a ¼ cup of water. Stir the paste into the soup and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with bannock.

Saskatoon Jelly

3 cups of berry juice, ½ cup of lemon juice, 7 ½ cups of sugar, 1 bottle of liquid pectin (certo). Clean and prepare berries. Place about 4 lb. in kettle and crush. Heat gently until juice starts to flow and then simmer covered for 15 minutes. Place in jelly cloth and squeeze out juice. Squeeze and strain juice from 4 lemons and put aside. To make jelly – measure sugar and juice into a large saucepan and mix. Add lemon juice and combine well. Bring to a boil over high heat and all at once, add pectin, stirring constantly, then bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim and pour quickly into sterilized jars and seal.

Tourtiere (meat pie)

Pastry: 5 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 lb of lard, 1 cup of hot water, 4 teaspoons of vinegar, 1 well-beaten egg. Measure flour, salt and baking powder into large bowl. Stir together to distribute all ingredients. Add lard. Cut into pieces with knife. With pastry cutter, cut in lard until whole mixture is crumbly. Mix hot water, vinegar and well-beaten egg together. Pour slowly over flour mixture stirring with fork to distribute. With your hands, work until it holds nicely together. Filling: 5 lbs of ground pork, 2 lbs of lean ground beef, 6 medium onions, salt and pepper to taste, and 3 garlic cloves Place all ingredients into extra large saucepan. Add water to cover about 3/4 of the meat mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cool slightly. Line pie with pastry. Fill with meat mixture. Dampen outer edge with water. Cover with pastry (make slits in top crust). Press edges to seal. Bake in 350 F oven until golden brown. These freeze well and may be left in the freezer for 4-5 months. This recipe makes approximately 7 pies.

Indian Relish

12 large tomatoes, 12 large apples, 9 medium onions, 3 cups sugar, 1 pint vinegar, 1 tsp. Pepper, ½ tsp. Celery salt, ½ tsp. Clovers, 1 tsp cinnamon, mixed spiec and ½ cup of salt. Blend all ingredients. Cook until thick. Seal in sterile jars.

Pouchine au Sac – Pudding in a bag

½ cup of beef suet, chopped fine and free from skin, ½ cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of raisins, ½ cup of currants, 1 teaspoon of pastry spice, 2 cups of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, ¾ cup of milk. Mix all dry ingredients together and add milk. Pour mixture in a 5 lbs. cotton bag or 2, 1 qt. sealers. Fill jars half full and serve with sauce. Sauce: ½ cup of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1 cup of boiling water, 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of lemon extract, ½ teaspoon of vanilla.

Onion Stuffing

2 1/2 quarts toasted bread crumbs (measure after toasting) 1 1/4 cups butter or margarine 1/3 cup minced onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 tbsp. dried parsley leaves 2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Stuff the wild goose lightly and crop cavity of a large. into the body and crop cavity of a large wild goose, ready to cook.

Spiced Venison Roast

5 pound venison roast 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. ginger 1 tbsp. sugar 2 bay leaves 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. vinegar 2 cups tomato juice 2 onions, chopped 1/2 tsp. pepper

Brown roast. Combine remaining ingredients. Add cover and cook 3 hours in a moderate oven, or until done. Serves 8.

Trout Sandwich Filling

1 cup flaked trout 1/4 cup mayo 1/2 of a green pepper cut very thin Salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients together well. Ready for sandwiches.

Rose Hip Jam

Note: Do not gather berries until after the first frost and preserve the same day as picked. Boil 4 cups of berries with 2 1/2 cups of water until the berries are tender. Force through a sieve to remove seeds. Add 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of pulp. Mix thoroughly and bring to simmer slowly. Cook for 10 mins. Bottle. A layer of sugar spinkled on the top helps to improve the flavour.

Flax Seed Tea Home Remedy (try at your own risk)

Make a tea that sooths a bad cough. Put 2 tbsp. of whole flax seed into a teapot and add a slice of lemon and a pint of boiling water. Steep, strain and sweeten with honey.

Elk Burger Dumpling Stew

1 1/2 lbs. lean elk, ground 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper onion juice 1/3 cup fat 1 tbsp. flour 2 cups hot water 1 cup tomato juice 1 tbsp. chilli sauce 1 recipe dumplings

Mix elk with salt, pepper and onion juice, shape lightly into small cakes and sear in fat in hot frying pan until well browned; remove cakes. Stir flour into dumplings in pan, add water, tomato juice and chilli sauce and bring to a boil. Return cakes to pan and drop 1 tbsp. dumpling mixture ontop of each, cover tightly and cook 10 minutes. Approximate yield: 6 portions.

Cornstarch Blancmange (Cornstarch Pudding)

3 tablespoons of cornstarch 2 to 4 tablespoons of sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups of milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt with 1/2 cold milk. Scald remaining milk in a double boiler. Add cornstarch mixture gradually to scalded milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened and smooth. Cover and cook 25 mins. Stirring occasionally. Cool and add vanilla. Serve hot or cold. If you would like you can use brown sugar to make it taste like caramel or you can use coco to make chocolate pudding.

Wild Rice and Cheese Casserole

1 cup of Wild Rice 3 cups of water 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup of grated cheese 1/4 teaspoon of salt 3 cups of sliced mushrooms 3 tablespoons of butter 1 can (19oz) stewed tomatoes Wash the rice under cold water. Put the rice into 3 cups of water and parboil for 5 minutes. Let soak in the same water for one hour. Cook rice in boiling water for an additional 20 minutes. Drain rice if necessary. Sauté onion and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Toss all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Pemmican

2 lbs. of lean buffalo or beef 1/4 cup dried berries (blueberries or saskatoons) 5 tablespoons of animal fat

Cut the meat into long strips and hang in the sun to dry for several days. When completely dry, pound each strip until broken into flakes then mix together the flakes and dried berries. The meat, berries and melted fat can be mixed into a bowl. When the fat has cooled the ingredients can be rolled into large balls and stored into plastic bags. Pemmican can be eaten as is, cooked like hamburger, or boiled with flour and water to make soup.

Roasted Muskrat

Remove the ribs, head and white gland (sacs) from around the back legs. Boil water and place the muskrat in the boiling water until they are cooked. Remove the muskrat and heat a frying pan with lard. Place the muskrat in the frying pan and add salt and pepper for taste.

Métis clothing originated with the coming of the fur trade and the clothing used by the Coureur des Bois. The Coureur des Bois combined First Nations and European styles of dress into a new adaptation designed for the fur trade travels.

A most distinctive element of Métis dress was the sash. The first sashes originated in the Quebec village of L’Assumption. From this location, they became popular trade goods in both Quebec and among the Métis in the West. From this origination, the Métis began their own sash creations in the Red River area. As the Métis migrated west and south from Manitoba, they transported the Métis sash with them as a distinctive symbol of their culture.

The typical sash is made of brightly coloured wool and is worn as a wrap around the midsection of the torso. One traditional use of the sash was to keep a coat closed. The fringes on the sash served not only a decorative purpose, but served as extra sewing thread while traveling. It was common for the sash to contain both a hunting knife and a fire bag. When not used as a wrap, the sash could serve a variety of functions from scarf, washcloth, towel, saddle blanket, rope, or tourniquet.

Traditional Métis dress also included three kinds of coats. One was the capote, or capot crait-rien. The capote was a shoulder season garment with a hood, and was commonly constructed from a Hudson’s Bay blanket. The other distinctive coat was the buckskin jacket. Many buckskin jackets were produced for sale by Métis women and included extensive beadwork and fringes. The third design of coat was the Red River Coat. This hide coat design was adapted from the Cree apparel, and included a more European cut, epaulets, and the ever-present Métis beadwork floral patterns, quillwork, and embroidery.

Another article of Métis clothing that was decoratively beaded were leggings. Leggings, called mitasses, were worn over pants and were made of leather or velvet. Their decoration included both beadwork and embroidery.

Métis hats and caps were also distinctive in their design and artwork. They were often made of either fur skins and/or cloth. Decoration included quill work and beadwork.

Métis footwear often included moccasins, which were adapted from those worn by the Plains Indians. Métis moccasins came in a variety of designs and typically included classic Métis embroidery and beadwork.

The Métis gift for clothing decoration was evident in the multiple bags they used for carrying gun powder or tobacco. A classis design was the bag carried on the shoulder called an Octopus pouch.

Joan Ledoux

Chairperson

David Beaudin

Board Member

Laura Forsythe

Board Member (U of M Representative)

Tanis Kolisnyk, BA, CMS

Treasurer (U of W Representative)

Doug Pople

Board Member (BU Representative)

Lea Clarke

Board Member (LG Representative)

Rob Riel

Board Member

< Prev Next >