"Mattawa, where the waters meet": The question of identity in Metis culture.

Abstract

This thesis is about Metis music and the Metis people. Its purpose is to examine the intimate connections between the two and how music constitutes an inherent component of Metis identity(ies). The premise of this study is that Metis identity is fluid and flexible and that Metis musical traditions do not merely reflect these characteristics but are instrumental in its construction. In the same vein, I am arguing that multiple Metis identities have emerged from several specific factors, including individuality, regionalism, socio-economic conditions, historical events, political manipulations, various metissages, and spiritual beliefs and values. The goal of this study is to acknowledge the multiple Metis identities which are experienced and articulated among Metis through the examination of their musical practices. This study is based on an in-depth ethnography of the musical practices of the Metis community in Mattawa, Ontario. This community provides a case-in-point from which Metis identity can be studied. It features a wide and diverse range of musical practices typical of the Metis communities in Ontario, and it enacts the internal divisions which have undermined its official representation at the local as well as the regional and national levels.