SUMMARIZING ADAM GAUDRY’S ARTICLE, COMMUNING WITH THE DEAD

Adam Gaudry’s article, “Communing with the Dead” points out the rising number of individuals in Canada identifying as Metis. Genealogical discovery of prior unrecognized Indian ancestry contributes significantly to these groups personal self-discovery, spiritual growth as well as subscribing to the metis identity. Gaudry, however, asserts that these “new Metis” attribute their Metis identity in genealogical reports connecting them to Metis Indigenous ancestors rather than the thriving Metis communities that have been in existent for generations. The growing number of the “new Metis” has created problems on the subject, raising concerns on what it takes to identify as Metis.

Through engaging with genealogy websites, many individuals are now able to establish their identity to Metis and other indigenous communities[1]. Gaudry, however, asserts that most of these websites are curated without any involvement of actual native communities, and are hence likely to be erroneous in their output. Resultantly, the number of self-proclaiming Metis members lacking a meaningful connection to existing metis communities is increasing. For this reason, Gaundry sees it unfit to group these “new Metis” to metis communities with an extensive intergenerational identification with Metis history and nationhood (Gaudry 2018). These emerging Metis groups comprise of people who personally proclaim their connection to Metis culture to hidden family secrets that are currently being called back into the present by their native relatives.

Gaundry finds the genealogical discovery criteria toward recognizing individuals as Metis to be unsatisfactory. One reason for this is the connections to the dead that these genealogical reports show may be linking the newly self-identified Metis to their native ancestors, who may not have even considered themselves to be Metis. Another reason is its disregard to living Metis peoples and communities as a suitable way to revive Metis culture and instead the connections to the dead as a means to achieve the feat.

Metis communities and governments responsible for ensuring their political interests and identity are safe, still exist despite generations of colonial interference leading to limitations. Thriving Metis populations have a historical endurance within the Metis nation running long prior to Canada’s colonization of the west. Despite Canada’s hostile entrance into Metis homeland, these communities thrived openly, moving and growing in new territories as the influx of colonials suppressed them. Today they are historically grounded and determined, sticking to practising their politics, culture and kinship duties. These are practices passed down from their parents and grandparents who also learnt the same from inheriting after their parents, creating a living lineage to the era of a self-governing Metis nation. Most emerging self-identifying Metis, however, are reluctant in associating with these thriving communities and rather choose to develop their communities that seek out to commune with the dead to reconnect to the Metis culture.

Gaundry concludes by acknowledging the open membership to self-identity of Metis Nation as it drives inclusivity. However, membership ought to retain the long-standing values of Metis culture, including, kinship with regard to historically continuous communities. The sincerity of the “new Metis” towards reconnecting with their native culture should be seen in their efforts towards connecting with present-day living metis communities as good relatives.

Bibliography

Gaudry, Adam. 2018. “Communing with the Dead.” 163-190.

[1] The Metis Federation of Canada and Metis Nation of Canada are some of the organizations with webpages and other resources to include and represent self-identifying new Metis.