Métis Nation genealogy

Canadian censuses often recorded information about ethnic heritage. For example, the 1911 Census recorded ethnic origin and the country or province of birth.

LAC holds the records for all official Canadian censuses.

We also hold some partial records from Red River censuses from 1831 to 1856. For more information on these, please consult our guide to Other censuses and related documents.

Please note that in Western Canada, censuses were taken in 1906, 1916 and 1926, alternating with the national censuses.

Provincial and territorial government offices record births, marriages and deaths. These are also known as civil registration records. Those offices may transfer older records to the provincial or territorial archives. Information about the records and where to find them is found in researching your ancestors in birth, marriage and death records

Researchers should also consult church records for this type of information.

A lot of this material is still held at church offices.

Métis soldiers have served in several conflicts. Some records that may be useful:

First World War

• The Personnel Records of the First World War database can be searched by name.

Second World War

• The Service Files of the Second World War - War Dead, 1939-1947 database can be searched by name.
• For service files of those who survived the war, find out how to submit a request.

You may find limited information about your ancestor in the Residential School files.

In the 1870s, the federal government passed legislation recognizing their responsibility for the Métis. The government created a system for ending their “Indian title” by means of compensation with Métis scrip.

These scrip documents are a key source for genealogical information. They have birth dates not available in church records.

Scrip certificates were first issued to Métis and were redeemable for land or money. Resembling government bonds, they were printed in various denominations. Scrip was generally awarded to Métis heads of families and to children of Métis heads of families.

Money scrip was issued in exchange for the extinguishment of certain claims.

For more information on Métis scrip, you can consult our page on that topic.

River lot maps show the existing property lines and the names of the owners before the transfer of Rupert’s Land to Canada. These make them a great resources for searching where family members lived before the land was transferred to Canada.

To search the maps, use the keywords “Red River lot” and the parish name in Collection Search. Filter for “maps and cartographic materials” to reduce your search. (Only in English.)

Some Métis have published their own histories. These publications can include stories that might help you better understand the experiences of your ancestors. They may also include information about specific individuals. You can search Aurora to find these publications. Try keywords like:

• Métis genealogy
• Métis biographies
• Métis history
• a place name

To help you with your research, our genealogy staff have compiled a list of books in our Aurora catalogue. Most of these books include information about individuals.

Each title in this list includes the author and the LAC call number.

• If the call number includes the word genealogy, that means the book is in the genealogy room URL at our Ottawa location.
• Example of a call number: Genealogy Ref. - CS88 A2 A38 2003

You can click on a title in the list to open the full catalogue entry. Then if you scroll down, you will see a list of other libraries that hold copies. You can also check your local library’s online catalogue.