An innovative exploration of the birth of Metis identity in northern Saskatchewan that will provide a model for future research and discussion.

In recent years there has been growing interest in identifying the social and cultural attributes that define the Metis as both Aboriginal and a distinct people. The study of Metis identity formation has also emerged as an innovative way to explore cultural encounters and change in North American history and anthropology.

In One of the Family Brenda Macdougall employs the concept of wahkootowin – the Cree term for a worldview that privileges family and values interconnectedness – to trace the emergence of a Metis community in northern Saskatchewan. Wahkootowin describes how relationships in the nineteenth century were supposed to work and helps to explain how the Metis negotiated with fur trade companies and the Roman Catholic Church while nurturing a society that emphasized family obligation and responsibility.

This path-breaking study offers a model for future research and discussion that will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the fur trade or Metis culture and identity.

"In a meticulously crafted study of the connections between the Metis families of the Sakitawak (Île à la Crosse) region of Saskatchewan, Brenda Macdougall adds richness to a familiar story by extending the focus of her study from the geographic, temporal, and cultural preeminence of Red River in historical discourse." - H-Canada Review

"An impressive work that traces the emergence of the Metis community “as an expression of Aboriginality” (p. 56). One of the Family emerges as a welcome and much-needed contribution to the field and should serve as a valuable framework for future research. Both captivating and rigorous, this book is sure to engage scholars interested in Aboriginal-newcomer relations and Metis identity studies" - H-Canada