DCHP-3

Métis

[< CdnE Metis < F "mestizo, half-breed" (Linguee F-E Dictionary)]
Especially Manitoba, Western Canada and Northwest
DCHP-3.1 (Oct 2025)

Spelling variants:
Metis

The spelling Métis is preferable over Metis.
n. — Ethnicities

a person of mixed Indigenous and European, especially French, parentage.

Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The term Métis is a Canadianism by virtue of preservation and, in the French Canadian context, culturally significant. The term is a derivative of the French term "métisser", which translates to "crossbreed" or "half-breed"; however, the Métis peoples of Canada reclaimed the term and choose to identify as Métis (see the 1841 & 2025 quotations, the Canadian Geographic reference and Linguee reference). Furthermore, the term is significantly more common in Canada compared to other domains, including the US (see Chart 1).

The term is listed as Canadian in the OED-3 and defined as "[a] person of mixed decent" (see OED-3 reference, def. I.a.). The term is listed in Canadian dictionaries COD-1 and COD-2 labelled as "(esp. in Canada)", Gage-3, Gage-5 labelled as "adj. Cdn. —n.", FWSCD-82, and FWCCD-86. The term is listed in American dictionary DARE, labelled as "Cf DCan [= DCHP-1]".
This well-established term reflects much divided usage in Canada, both with regard to spelling and pronunciation.

Quotations

1816
Your European Servants and Metiss are in many places deserting over to the North West Company.
1841
The Metis call themselves "free people," (gens libres;) but by their neighbours they are designated as "Metis of the Red river," "the Red-river people," "the People of the North."
1886
In all his experience on the plains, Johnny had never been called on to eat dog flesh, and in despair he turned to McGillies, the French Metis, (many of the French half-breeds have Scotch names,) who was eating away most unconcernedly, and asked him what was to be done, for he would not eat any more of the mess.
1913
Metis (pronounced Mee-tees; has same form in singular and plural). It is applied to all half-breeds of Indian blood, but more especially to those whose ancestry is French, for those of British descent are always designated by the French as Metis "Anglaise". . . .
1934
Old Angus Brabant had employed methods all his own in handling these Indian and Metis freighters.
1966
Mr. Anderson . . . flew north to a settlement of about 1500 Cree Indians and 300 Metis.
1989
People are donating food and money, and northern steelworker locals are donating turkeys to every one of the town's 400 families. The impoverished Indian and Metis communities of northern Manitoba have helped raise almost $5,000 to pay for grocery vouchers for Lynn Lake's people.
2004
Métis leaders are rejecting Prime Minister Paul Martin's offer to review the century-old treason case of legendary Louis Riel. Clement Chartier, president of the Métis National Council, said the Métis instead want to focus on modern-day battles for their rights.
2011
The Métis National Council said it was assured Thursday by John Duncan, federal Minister of Indian Affairs and interlocutor for Métis and non-status Indians, that the government will revisit a preselected advance contract with the Canadian Standards Association to develop a standardized assessment of the quality and integrity of Métis membership systems.
2021
It says 201 homicide victims in 2020 were First Nations, Métis, Inuit or from an Indigenous identity where the group was not known to the police, representing more than a quarter of all victims in Canada.
2025
Since 1983, the Métis National Council has been the national and international voice of the Métis Nation. As a National Indigenous Organization, the MNC works to advance Métis rights, recognition, and self-determination guided by the legacy of our ancestors and the vision of Louis Riel.

References

Images

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 31 October 2025

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 31 October 2025