The Métis National Council Historical Online Database Overview

The Métis National Council Historical Online Database provides a mechanism for academics and, more importantly, community members to reconstruct the genealogies of the historic Métis Nation.

In coordination with the National Research Initiative of the Métis National Council, the researchers from the Faculty of Native Studies based on the University of Alberta have spent the previous three years working on Métis Archival Project (MAP). This effort resulted in developing a database of textual information that has been extracted from numerous archival documents, high-resolution digital photography and scans pertaining to the historical Métis Nation.

This information, which was previously only available at various Canadian archives, will now become accessible to anyone with access to the Internet. The MNC Historical Online Database will allow the Métis people to reconnect with the history of our nation and to reconstruct their family trees, which is of vital significance to the ongoing clarification of Métis Aboriginal Rights.

Access The Métis Historical Online Database

Welcome from the Métis National Council

It is my pleasure to bring greetings on behalf of the Métis National Council and welcome you to this exciting event. The Métis National Council Historical Online Database is an important and timely tool that will encourage Métis people to reconnect with the history of our Nation.

This site is also a valuable educational resource for the general public, providing details on the historical role of the Métis in the formation of Canada as the country. It is my hope that this site will be used to further bring to light the often forgotten history of the Métis Nation.

I would like to acknowledge the many years of research and work that Dr. Frank Tough and his team have dedicated to this and other Métis-specific projects. The relationship between the University of Alberta and the Métis National Council has been a fruitful one. In recent years, the Métis in our home land have made tremendous strides in asserting our rights as an Aboriginal people and bringing our concerns and issues to the consciousness of the Canadian public. This project is but one of the initiatives that informs our people and the public about where Métis rights are derived.

Again, I am proud to bring the Métis National Council Historical Online Database to you on behalf of the MNC.

Sincerely,

Clément Chartier
President
Métis National Council

Welcome from the Métis Archival Project

As Principal Investigator for the Métis Archival Project, it is with great honour that I welcome you to the Launch of the Métis National Council Historical Online Database. The digitization of Métis specific archival records was conceptualized back in 1993 and it is exciting to finally see us nearing an end result.

I would like to thank the Métis National Council and President Clément Chartier for establishing a relationship with the University of Alberta that resulted in the facilitation of this large applied research project. These external partnerships are highly valued in the competitive social sciences field of research.

I would also like to thank Academic Information and Communication Technologies, Research Services Office, Dean Bielawski, and all of the staff and students that have dedicated their time and hard work to the project over the years. Without their help this web site would never have come to fruition.

As a result of the investment in research activity and the development of skilled researchers and project leaders, MAP embodies a very advanced facility for conducting applied and archival research relating to the Métis Nation.

Thank you for taking the time to share this special event with the Métis Archival Project.

Sincerely,

Frank Tough
Principal Investigator
Métis Archival Project

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