Glossary of Terms

Abstract

A summary of a document's essential information, including names, dates, locations, and event details, without copying the full text. Example: An abstract of a baptism record may list the child's name, baptism date, parents' names, godparents, and parish, aiding quick reference while preserving the document's usefulness.

Adoption (Customary or Legal)

The formal or informal process by which a child is taken into a family other than their birth family. In Métis and Indigenous contexts, customary adoption may not be documented in civil records but can be referenced in church or oral histories.

Affidavit

A sworn written statement used in scrip applications, land claims, probate, or court records to confirm identity, residence, or parentage. Affidavits often provide detailed family connections and witness testimony, valuable for confirming genealogical links. Tip: Note who swore the affidavit, who witnessed it, and where it was filed.

Alias

An alternate name used by an individual, sometimes appearing in records due to language, marriage, or personal choice. Important for tracking ancestors who may be listed under different names.

Ancestral Lands

Traditional lands and later settlements where your Métis ancestors lived, hunted, and travelled, including Red River, Batoche, St. Laurent, and Qu'Appelle. Understanding these areas—including their historical boundaries and migration routes—helps contextualize migration patterns and family movements.

Annuity

Annual payment made under treaty agreements to First Nations. While Métis were generally excluded from treaties, understanding annuities helps contextualize Métis community experiences alongside treaty relatives.

Archivist

A professional who manages historical documents in archives and can guide you in finding parish registers, scrip files, fur trade records, and other genealogical sources relevant to Métis research.

Banns

Public announcements of an intended marriage, often recorded in church registers. Banns can provide marriage clues even if no marriage record survives.

Baptism Record

Church record documenting the baptism of an individual, listing the child's name, parents (including maiden names), godparents, and location. Often written in French or Latin in Métis communities. Tip: Godparents are often relatives, providing additional family clues.

Batoche

A historic Métis settlement in Saskatchewan and site of the 1885 Resistance. Many families have deep connections to Batoche, and scrip and parish records often reference it.

Burial Record

Church entry noting an individual's death and burial, often including age, cause of death, parents, and place of residence. Example: "Inhumé Joseph Beaulieu, âgé de 72 ans, époux de Marguerite L'Hirondelle, le 12 mars 1888 à St. Laurent."

Buffalo Hunt

Communal hunts central to Métis economic and cultural life, involving structured buffalo hunt leadership and seasonal movement patterns. Hunt participation often appears in oral histories and community memory.

Cadastral Map

A detailed map showing property boundaries and ownership, useful for locating ancestral lands and understanding land distribution after scrip or settlement.

Census

A government population count listing names, ages, marital status, occupations, and relationships. Essential for tracking Métis families, particularly in the 1870 Manitoba Census and 1901/1906/1911 Prairie Censuses. Tip: Métis families may be listed under French or English names, with ages often approximate.

Census Substitute

Records used in place of missing or incomplete censuses, such as tax lists, voter rolls, or parish enumerations.

Certificate (Scrip Certificate)

A legal document issued by the federal government to Métis claimants in exchange for Aboriginal title, entitling them to land (land scrip) or cash (money scrip). Example: A 240-acre land scrip certificate could be used to select land or sold to a speculator.

Child of the Marriage

A phrase in baptism and marriage records indicating legitimacy according to church or colonial legal standards.

Church Mission Register

A parish record book used in missions across the Prairies, recording baptisms, marriages, and burials for Métis and Indigenous families.

Claimant

The individual applying for scrip or land claims, often providing valuable affidavits and witness statements confirming family connections.

Collateral Line

Relatives who are not direct ancestors or descendants but share a common ancestor (e.g., siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles). Researching collateral lines can reveal additional family connections.

Deed

A legal document showing the transfer of land ownership, which may help trace land acquired through scrip or homestead grants.

Descendant

A person directly descended from an ancestor (child, grandchild, great-grandchild).

Dit Name

A secondary surname used in French and Métis families, indicating family branches or characteristics. Dit names may change over generations and can be used interchangeably with or instead of the primary surname. Example: "Beaulieu dit Sinclair" might appear under either surname in documents. Knowing the dit name helps in tracing ancestors across record sets.

Document Transcription

The exact, word-for-word copying of a record, preserving spelling, punctuation, and phrasing, necessary for citation and analysis. Transcriptions should be checked for accuracy against the original document whenever possible.

Domicile

Legal place of residence; scrip and census documents often use this term to determine eligibility.

Enumeration

The act of counting individuals during a census. Enumerators (census takers) sometimes recorded Métis families in different sections depending on perceived identity or occupation.

Extinguishment of Title

The process of relinquishing Aboriginal title to land in exchange for scrip, legally required for Métis scrip recipients.

Executor

Person appointed to administer the estate of a deceased individual. Wills and probate records can provide family connections and asset details.

Family Group Sheet

A form used to document the parents and children of a family, including birth, marriage, and death details, forming the backbone of organized genealogy.

Fils/Fille du Pays

French terms meaning "son/daughter of the country," used for children born of European fur traders and Indigenous women, often precursors to Métis identity.

Freeman (of the fur trade)

An independent fur trader not under contract with the Hudson's Bay Company or North West Company, sometimes used to describe Métis traders operating outside formal company structures.

Gazetteer

A geographical dictionary or directory used to locate historical place names, especially useful when boundaries or names have changed.

Genealogy

The study and documentation of family lineage and history.

Godparents (Parrain, Marraine)

Individuals named at baptism who take spiritual responsibility for a child. Often relatives, godparents provide clues for extended family connections.

Grant (Land Grant)

Land assigned to individuals by the government or Crown. Métis families may have received homestead grants alongside or instead of scrip, requiring separate tracking.

Half-Breed (Historical Term)

Homestead Patent

Document proving full ownership of a homestead after fulfilling residence and improvement requirements. Useful for tracing Métis landholding after scrip or settlement. Homestead records may also contain affidavits, witness statements, and maps.

Hudson's Bay Company (HBC)

Dominant fur trade company employing many Métis families as voyageurs, hunters, and traders. HBC employment records can contain detailed family and movement information.

Index

A compiled list helping locate names, places, or subjects within larger record sets, such as parish registers or scrip files. Always verify indexed entries against the original record.

Indian Register

The official record maintained by the federal government of registered First Nations individuals, relevant for Métis researchers when researching interconnected family lines. Métis individuals are generally not listed unless they or their descendants were registered as Status Indians under the Indian Act.

Indigenous

Refers to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples collectively. Métis are recognized as Indigenous under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution.

Intestate

Dying without a will. Probate records for intestate Métis individuals may still list heirs and property.

Jesuit Relations

Reports and writings from Jesuit missionaries, sometimes mentioning early Indigenous and mixed-ancestry communities relevant to pre-Métis family histories.

Joint Application (Scrip)

Some scrip applications involved multiple family members applying together, such as siblings or a widow and her children. These often provide multiple family connections in one document.

Kinship

The system of family relationships, including blood, marriage, and community ties. In Métis culture, kinship extends beyond direct descent to include godparent relationships, customary adoption, and close community ties important for understanding migration and settlement patterns. Kinship networks are central to Métis identity and may be reflected in oral histories, church records, and community memory.

King's Posts (Postes du Roi)

French fur trade posts established under royal monopoly; relevant for tracing early French-Canadian fur trade ancestors who later became part of Métis communities. These posts pre-date the Hudson's Bay Company and were often sites of early intermarriage and kinship formation.

Kinsmen/Kinswomen

Terms used in historical records to refer to relatives, often including extended family beyond immediate parents and children.

Land Scrip

Certificate entitling the bearer to claim a specific amount of land, typically 160 or 240 acres, issued to Métis individuals in exchange for extinguishing Aboriginal title. Example: You may find references to your ancestor's scrip number, date of issue, and the land location selected. See also: Money Scrip, Scrip, Speculator.

Ledger

Record book used by fur trade companies, parishes, or merchants, listing transactions or records of baptisms, marriages, and burials. Ledgers may also include lists of employees, accounts, and provisions, providing clues to economic and social life.

Legal Heir

Person entitled by law to inherit property. Important in scrip applications and probate records, where identifying legal heirs clarifies family structures. Legal heirs may differ from customary heirs recognized in Métis or Indigenous tradition.

Lot/River Lot

A narrow strip of land fronting a river, common in Red River and other Métis settlements. River lot maps can help locate ancestral property and neighbors.

Marriage Record

Church document recording a marriage, listing the couple, their parents (often including maiden names), witnesses, and location. Example: Useful for confirming family connections and maiden names often missing elsewhere.

Métis

A distinct Indigenous people with mixed First Nations (Cree, Saulteaux, Dene, etc.) and European (French, Scottish, etc.) ancestry, recognized under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, with a shared history, culture, and kinship networks. The Métis Nation has distinct languages (such as Michif), customs, and political structures.

Michif

A Métis language blending Cree (verbs, syntax) and French (nouns, adjectives), with regional variations. Understanding Michif words can aid in interpreting family stories and documents.

Mission

A church outpost providing religious services and keeping parish registers for Métis and Indigenous communities. Mission records are often the earliest written sources for Métis families.

Money Scrip

Scrip certificate issued to Métis individuals, redeemable for a cash amount instead of land. Often sold to speculators, resulting in little financial benefit to recipients.

Métis Nation

The collective political and cultural organization of Métis people, represented by bodies such as the Métis National Council and provincial affiliates. Registry applications often require documentation of Métis ancestry and community connection.

Name Variants

Alternate spellings or versions of family names found in records due to language shifts, phonetic spelling, and handwriting interpretation. Tracking variants is essential for accurate research. Example: "Beaulieu," "Beaulieau," "Bolyu," or "Bolieu." See also: Alias, Dit Name.

Notary Records

Documents created by a notary, including marriage contracts, land sales, and agreements, often available in Quebec but occasionally relevant for Métis families with eastern Canadian connections. Notarial acts may include wills, inventories, and settlements.

North West Company (NWC)

A major fur trade company operating from 1779–1821, employing many Métis ancestors before its merger with the Hudson's Bay Company. NWC records may include contracts, employee lists, and journals.

Oral History

Stories, traditions, and family knowledge passed verbally across generations. Oral histories often preserve details missing in written records and should be documented carefully with names, dates, and contexts. Oral testimony is increasingly recognized as valid evidence in Indigenous and Métis genealogy.

Occupation

Job or trade listed in records like censuses, scrip files, or parish entries. Métis ancestors may be listed as hunters, traders, farmers, voyageurs, interpreters, or seamstresses. Occupational information can help distinguish between individuals with the same name.

Official Recognition

The process by which an individual is accepted as a member of a Métis Nation or other Indigenous registry, usually requiring genealogical proof and community acceptance.

Parish Register

Record book used by churches to record baptisms, marriages, and burials. Parish records are critical for tracing family lines, especially before civil registration.

Patrilineal / Matrilineal

Descent traced through the father's or mother's line, respectively. Métis family research often requires tracking both due to community kinship structures.

Probate

Legal process of administering a deceased person's estate. Probate records can reveal heirs, family property, and community connections. Intestate probate occurs when there is no will; testate probate occurs when a will exists.

Petition

A formal written request, often signed by multiple community members, found in land claims or scrip files and sometimes revealing family or community relationships.

Qualifying Ancestor

An ancestor who meets the criteria for Métis citizenship or registry, usually by documented presence in a historic Métis community before a certain date.

Red River Settlement

A historic Métis settlement in present-day Manitoba, a central location for many Métis families before westward migrations after 1870.

Register

A formal list maintained by a church, government, or registry. In Métis research, this may refer to baptismal registers, census registers, or registry applications for Métis citizenship.

Registry Application

An application for official recognition with a Métis Nation or other Indigenous registry, requiring documentation of ancestry and community connection. Supporting documents often include birth, marriage, and scrip records.

Scrip

Certificates issued to Métis individuals in exchange for Aboriginal title, redeemable for land or money. Understanding the scrip system is key for Métis family researchers.

Settlement

A community where Métis families lived, often alongside First Nations and settlers. Examples include Batoche, St. Laurent, and Lebret. Settlement patterns can be traced using parish, land, and census records.

Source Citation

Recording where information was found, including archives, books, websites, or interviews. Proper citation ensures research credibility and is required for registry applications. Use standardized formats for citations.

Speculator

An individual or company who purchased scrip certificates from Métis recipients, often for less than their value, to acquire land cheaply. Speculator activity can complicate tracing original land ownership.

Transcription

An exact, word-for-word copy of a record, preserving the original spelling, punctuation, and structure. Transcriptions should be checked for accuracy against the original document whenever possible.

Treaty

Formal agreement between the Crown and First Nations. Métis were generally excluded from treaties but may be mentioned in related documents, especially in communities with intermarriages. Treaty annuity lists and related records can provide indirect evidence of Métis family connections.

Voyageur

A fur trade canoe worker, often of French-Canadian or Métis background, who transported goods and furs across long distances. Voyageur ancestors are common in Métis family histories. Voyageur contracts and journals may provide biographical details.

Vital Records

Official government records of births, marriages, and deaths, foundational for genealogical research.

Witnesses

Individuals present at baptisms, marriages, scrip applications, or other legal processes. Witnesses are often family members or close community ties, providing additional research clues. Always record witness names, as they may reveal kinship or community relationships.

Will

A legal document outlining how a person's property should be distributed after death. Wills often name heirs and can confirm family connections. Probate files may include the will, inventories, and related correspondence.

Zone of Occupation

Regions where Métis families lived seasonally for hunting, trading, and gathering. Understanding these zones helps track ancestors outside fixed settlements. Zones of occupation may be referenced in oral histories, fur trade records, and land claims.