Who Are The Métis?

Identified by their mixed blood, the Métis of Canada are often characterized as the forgotten people. The M賩s are known as those born to a European parent and a Native American parent of either the Cree or Ojibwe Nations. The M賩s are recognized for their buffalo hunts and their ability to meet their daily needs with this animal. Not only did the buffalo provide meat, but they also provided an alternative way to earn an income for the M賩s; that is, from the sale of pemmican. This Cree word for "manufactured grease" is composed of dried meat and fat and assembled through an elaborate process before being poured into sacks of water-proof hide. In the end, these hard blocks of meat weighed approximately 90 pounds.

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