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MLC - St. Laurent Manitoba Oral History - Louis-George Coutu

Guy Lavallée interviews Louis-George Coutu of St. Laurent, Manitoba.

In 1984, the Manitoba Métis Federation formed the Michif Languages Committee to address concerns surrounding the loss of culture and identity of the Métis, due to declining language prevalence.

The work undertaken by the committee researched, recorded, and preserved the linguistic heritage of the Métis through a series of conferences, field research projects, and networking with interested individuals, institutions, and governments.

In 1987, the Michif Languages Committee engaged the services of Guy Lavallée to conduct interviews in the community of St. Laurent for phase 1 of the Michif Languages Project. The collection of interviews documents the language, daily life, and cultural traditions of the Métis community.

Lavallée completed phase 1 of the project as part of his Master’s thesis in cultural anthropology at the University of British Columbia. The thesis, titled “The Metis people of St. Laurent, Manitoba: an introductory ethnology,” was later published under the title The Metis of St. Laurent, Manitoba: Their Life and Stories, 1920-1988.

C366 Elsie Bear (née Hourie)

Nicole J.M. St-Onge Interviews Elsie Bear, born in 1921 in Grand Marais, Manitoba.

The Métis Oral History Project (1985) was conducted as a summer employment project through the Provincial Archives of Manitoba. It was a continuation of a similar project carried out in 1984 and identified as the Métis Oral History Project (1984). Its purpose was to create oral history materials documenting the history and culture of the Manitoba Métis people. The research and interviews were conducted by Nicole J.M. St-Onge.

The interviews are in the form of life histories. Narrators’ recollections span the period from the end of the nineteenth century to the present and provide information on family, economic and social life in rural Metis communities.

A Blessing for the Meal

Li Saeñcheur Fleshii/Sash

Verna and Elvis Demontigny are actively involved in the production of a Saeñcheur Fleshii while conversing in the Michif language.

Historic Metis Settlements in Manitoba and Geographical Place Names

This monograph gives an overview of some representative historic Metis communities in Manitoba.

The Métis Homeland encompasses a vast geographical expanse. This monograph provides a comprehensive overview of select historical Métis communities within Manitoba. It delves into the establishment of these communities around the earliest Fur Trade forts, offering insightful descriptions. Furthermore, it highlights and lists the geographical place names that hold significant importance for the Métis.