This article is dedicated to my niijii (friend) chimitig of the Metis people.

The Metis people are a unique mixture of French or Scottish fathers and Cree, Oji-Cree or Ojibwe mothers. Numbering 350,000 to 400,000 they are one of the largest First Nations in North America.  The first Metis communities were estalished in the Red River Valley of Manitoba and extend to NW Minnesota, where many Metis and Ojibwe live on the same reservation. The language of Michif is a mixture of French or Scottish which would be the nouns and Cree, Oji-Cree or Ojibwe which would be the adverbs. If counted as one Nation the Metis, Ojibwe, Oji-Cree and Cree they would be the largest First Nation in all of North America, numbering over 800,000.

During the Metis wars of 1860's a Metis women wrote a letter to her White Lover. This poem is the song "Red River Valley."  This unique culture of the Metis, which means ''mixed'' is expanding and with the language similarities and culture closeness the Metis people and the Ojibwe, Cree and Oji-Cree make up a growing power in Canada and part of the US. mainly Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana.