LOCAL METIS HISTORY
DECOLONIZING WORKPLACES
WHO ARE THE METIS? Don’t they live on the Prairies? Why are they in Victoria? Why are they considered Indigenous?
Did you know that Fort Victoria was built by 40 Métis voyageurs, 3 Nuu-Chah-Nulth men, and a group of Lekwungen labourers? Rumour also has it that a young Peter Ogden Jr. may have set foot on the south island around 1817 - 25 years before the Fort was built - while on his way south with his father, Peter Skeene Ogden. Peter Jr. was the Métis son of Peter Skeene and “unknown Cree woman.” What is now colonially known as James Bay was referred to as “Ogden fields” by settlers in those early days.
Charles and Isabella Ross first arrived in 1823 - 20 years before the Fort was built. They traveled up and down the coast voerseeing the building of numerous HBC Forts, and returned to Victoria when their son William was born, making him the first baby born in the Fort. In 1843, the Ross’ were the first and only Métis family in Fort Victoria.
The first non-First Nations language spoken in the Fort was Michif, with some Chinook (Fur Trade jargon) thrown in. These Michif and Chinook words still exist today on many of our street signs and place names. By time the European women and gold prospectors arrived a few years later, Victoria had already been through numerous cultural shifts and losses. The Songhees and Esquimalt Peoples were forced outside the Fort and eventually over the bridge to the other side of the harbour. Lekwungen, Michif, and Chinook were replaced with English in the Fort. Along with the drastic changes in agriculture, architecture and industry, Indigenous languages and cultures were quickly relegated to the outskirts at best, and often prohibited by law at worst.
My historical workshops can focus on a number of themes, topics, and historical teachings. Whether you’re looking for a better understanding of the early days of colonization, or trying to reconcile “how we got here,” please reach out and let me know what your organization needs to further its understanding of this beautiful city grappling with its own truth and reconciliation.
Is your organization attracting Indigenous applicants? How are your retention rates? Would you like to create a more inclusive space but don’t know where to start? Let’s talk!
From job postings to interview techniques and communication styles, attracting and retaining Indigenous candidates is important for reconciliation and company culture, yet many organizations struggle to figure out ‘what they’re doing wrong.’
With over 15 years of hiring and onboarding Indigenous candidates for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments and organizations, I can assist with the recruitment and onboarding process to ensure that you are attracting qualified candidates. I can also offer feedback on how you might decolonize aspects of your operation, or be more inclusive with your policy manual or communications styles.
Métis people are often seen as the bridge builders between two worldviews, and I take that role very seriously because it is important as we walk alongside each other.
