Rekindling the Sacred Fire : Métis Ancestry and Anishinaabe Spirituality

Why don’t more Métis people go to traditional ceremonies? How does going to ceremonies impact Métis identity? In Rekindling the Sacred Fire, Chantal Fiola investigates the relationship between Red River Métis ancestry, Anishinaabe spirituality, and identity, bringing into focus the ongoing historical impacts of colonization upon Métis relationships with spirituality on the Canadian prairies. Using a methodology rooted in an Indigenous world view, Fiola interviews eighteen people with Métis ancestry, or an historic familial connection to the Red River Métis, who participate in Anishinaabe ceremonies, sharing stories about family history, self-identification, and their relationships with Aboriginal and Eurocanadian cultures and spiritualities. Cover Title Page Contents Dedication Note on Terminology Chapter 1 Seven Fires Prophecy and the Métis: An Introduction Chapter 2 Spirituality and Identity Chapter 3 Understanding the Colonial Context of Métis Spirituality and Identity Chapter 4 A Métis Anishinaabe Study Chapter 5 Residence, Education, Employment, Ancestry, and Status Chapter 6 Family History Chapter 7 Self-identification and Personal Experiences Chapter 8 Relationship with Anishinaabe Spirituality Chapter 9 Conclusion: Lighting the Eight Fire Gichi Miigwetch (Acknowledgements) Glossary Notes Bibliography Index Fiola's interviews of people with Métis ancestry, or an historic familial connection to the Red River Métis, who participate in Anishinaabe ceremonies, shares stories about family history, self-identification, and their relationships with Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian cultures and spiritualities. This study seeks to understand the historical suppression of Anishinaabe spirituality among the Métis and its more recent reconnection that breaks down the colonial divisions between their cultures.--Provided by publisher Why don't more Metis people go to traditional ceremonies? How does going to ceremonies impact Metis identity? In Rekindling the Sacred Fire, Chantal Fiola investigates the relationship between Red River Metis ancestry, Anishinaabe spirituality, and identity, bringing into focus the ongoing historical impacts of colonization upon Metis relationships with spirituality on the Canadian prairies.