Index: Metis And Mixed Heritage People In Census Records
This is where I’m collecting links to my census posts that contain individuals who are referred to as mixed, metis or with other terms that are now considered derogatory. For those who are unaware , in Canada the term metis is used in different ways in different settings and time periods. Presently, the term Metis with a capital M refers to one of three founding peoples of Canada (the First Nations, the Inuit and the Metis Nation). Most (but not all) of those officially recognized as Metis are in the Canadian West, however they are not always described that way in earlier census documents. For that reason, I have often used the more neutral term Mixed.
Notes for beginners
- The original census records often contain much more detailed information. For example, older records in certain parts of Canada will indicate that a person is half First Nations and half Scottish, English or French. In some cases they’ll even indicate when there is a 1/4 mixture.
- In some returns I’ve occasionally noticed that the children of a mixed heritage couple are listed with the father’s ethnicity. This might be because the children are from a former marriage but it does bear investigation if you can’t find your ancestors.
- Remember that in subsequent census returns in most of Canada, the grandchildren of mixed heritage couples are usually absorbed into one community or the other for “labelling” purposes.
- If you know where your ancestors were from or the Nation they were affiliated with, you may find it easier to consult the Main Index: Native – First Peoples – Metis which lists all of the indexes by region and by nation. If you’re looking by region please remember that for Western Canada you’ll need to check provincial records but also the Territories, the North West Territories and the Yukon.
- If you’re completely new to this type of genealogy, I’d like to mention that many of the names exist in both French and English version (e.g. King = Roy). Also the same individual can be listed by their First Nations name in one census, and some Westernized equivalent in another.
Alberta 1901
Macleod V2-1 newly indexed
Macleod V(2)-2 newly indexed
Priddis (Note: only 1 mixed family)
Alberta 1911
Cold Lake (Frog Lake, Long Lake)
Alberta 1921
MANITOBA
Clandeboye Agency, Selkirk (1911)
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES – 1911
Albany | Agumiska Island, Fort Hope, Osnaburg
Attawapiskat (Winisk, Albany Fort, Keewatin)
York Factory – Port Nelson, Fort Churchill, Hudson Bay Railway
ONTARIO
QUEBEC
Rigolet, Hamilton Inlet (1921)
Saskatchewan 1901
Battleford North newly indexed
Flett Springs newly indexed
Saskatchewan 1911
English River, Clear Lake, Canoe Lake, La Plonge
Territories – Assiniboia East and West – 1901
Territories – Unorganized
Keewatin C5 TERR UNORG. (1901)
Keewatin C7 TERR UNORG. (1901)
List of Metis Surnames of Ontario
Main Index: Native – First Peoples – Metis [Canadian Census Extracts]
Core Index: First Peoples Genealogy and History
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CORE INDEXES
Core Index: First Peoples
Main Index: First Peoples [Canadian Census Extracts]
Main Index: First Peoples [Canadian Marriage Extracts]
Index: First Nations Surname Lists | Canada
Core Index: Acadian / French-Canadian
Main Index: Early French Canadian Pioneers
Main Index: Quebec & New Brunswick Cemeteries
Index: A Portrait Gallery of Traditional Quebec Life
Core Index: Historical Postcards
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