Labrador metis ethnogenesis*

Abstract

Recent claims to Aboriginal (native or indigenous) identity include new peoples who may not have had an historical consciousness as distinct peoples. This paper presents such a case from Canada, the recent ethnogenesis of the Labrador Metis. These Metis claim Inuit ancestry. Their claim is opposed by Labrador's two established Aboriginal associations and government. Yet Labrador Metis have incorporated under the Labrador Metis Association, filed a land claim with the Canadian government, and are pressing their case before the public. The paper discusses how the Metis are attempting to negotiate Aboriginality, some of the sociocultural consequences of Metis ethnic mobilization, and why Metis are claiming to be Aboriginal at this time.