Metis History

The two articles titled "Unacquainted with the laws of the civilized world: American attitudes toward the metis communities in the Old Northwest" by David Edmunds and "Many roads to Red River: Metis genesis in the Great Lakes region, 1680-1815" by Jacqueline Peterson have in comparison many differences and a few similarities. Peterson's article is quite lengthy and because of this it is difficult to follow at times. She discusses the metis in much detail; where, when and how they emerged, their lifestyle, culture, and beliefs. In contrast to Edmunds' article, which was not only much shorter but more easily understood.

Peterson's article discusses who the metis were and how they emerged in the Great Lakes region. She continues to discuss how the terminology changed over time from 18th to 19th century, first referring to these people as Canadian, French or Indian then to half-breed, metis, or metif. Observers began to become more prejudiced in the Americas by the 19th century and later. The article is about the metis population and their significance, importance and influence in the Great Lakes region. The ethnicity of these individuals