Skip to content
Home/ Bois-Brûlés: The Untold Story of the Métis of Western Québec
Bois-Brûlés: The Untold Story of the Métis of Western Québec

Bois-Brûlés: The Untold Story of the Métis of Western Québec

No customer reviews yet ISBN 9780774862332

We think of Métis as having exclusively Prairie roots, but what about their presence in Quebec? The province doesn't recognize a historical Métis community within its territory, and the Métis National Council contests the existence of any Métis east of Ontario. Quebec residents who seek recognition as Métis under the Canadian Constitution therefore face an uphill legal and political battle. Who is right?
Bois-Brûlés, previously available only in French, examines the archival and ethnographic evidence for a historical Métis community in the larger Outaouais region, piecing together a riveting and previously untold history. Scottish and French-Canadian traders and Indigenous women - along with their Bois-Brûlés children - both worked for and competed against fur trade companies in the early nineteenth century, establishing themselves in the unsurveyed lands still known as "Indian country." As the fur trade declined, these small communities remained.
This controversial work challenges head-on two powerful nationalisms - Métis and Québécois - that see Quebec Métis as "race-shifting" individuals intent on undermining the First Nations of the province. The authors evaluate the strength of community claims to provide a nuanced analysis of the historical basis for a distinctly Métis identity that can be traced all the way to today.

About the author

Product details

Pub dateAug 31, 2020
ISBN-100774862335
ISBN-139780774862332
LanguageEnglish
Last updated 2026-04-14 14:59
$44.14
In stock soon — order now to reserve your copy
Delivery by Monday, September 14, 2026
Qty
Sign in to Add to Saved list
Free delivery on orders over $35.
15-day returns. Any reason.
Secure checkout. We never store card details.

Readers who bought this also bought

More from Indigenous Studies
See all
Mataloona and Mizh: Pukhtun Proverbs and a Frontier Classic
<em>Mataloona</em>, a rare collection of fascinating Pukhtun proverbs and sayings from over the ages, captures the beauty of Pukhtun literature and the wisdom of its people. What is perhaps most relevant is that these sayings are still in use today and people employ them in everyday language. With its sayings translated from Pukhto into English and with accompanying equivalent dictums in European languages, <em>Mataloona</em> is a labour of love and a rare literary gem. It should delight anyone interested in the culture, history, and anthropology of the Pukhtun people and will find an echo in tribal societies across the world. <em>Mizh</em>, written at the high noon of the British Empire by a top British civil servant in charge of Waziristan, is an important and classic historical work containing deep insights into the Pukhtun people, including their organisation, leadership, and relations with government authority. Concentrating on the Mahsud tribe, who remain one of the most important and influential Pukhtun tribes in Pakistan, <em>Mizh</em>, which means we, is a masterly analysis relevant to the present leadership in the Pakistan tribal region, central government in Pakistan who need to understand the local tribes better in order to bring peace and stability to the region, and all those interested in the Pukhtun and the workings of tribal societies.<br><br>
$16.76