Geographic Feature: First Métis Homesteads

Description

(1908) Louis McLeod, Billy Gooselin and Elzear Racine came up from Belcourt and settled in the Turtle Mountain bush. These three quarter sections were the first homesteads that were the beginning of the Metigoshe Metis Community.

Stories

1908 - Present The Métis community on Turtle Mountain is somewhat unique. Its presence raises the question: How did this group of Métis come to settle here? The Métis differ from the average European settler in that they did not immigrate to the Canadian prairies. They were born here. [[inline:right:met-metis]] Red River was the first place that the Métis settled in number. In fact for several generations they made up the majority of the settlement’s population. The Red River Resistance in 1869 and the following North West Resistance of 1885 uprooted Métis families from their homesteads and scattered them in …
Billy's Point was a significant place to the Metigoshe Metis Community. The home of Billy Gooselin served as dance hall and meeting place.
A new Nation born on the North Western prairies Today the Métis in Western Canada are an established Nation who take pride in their history and culture. However, it has been an uphill climb spanning centuries to overcome such obstacles as armed conflict, discrimination, poverty and unequal opportunity. Born into the Fur Trade The Métis were born from and into the fur trade. The growth of the Metis sense of identity was therefore due in part to the motives of that economy. However, there were many other factors that contributed to the Métis sense of nationalism. The western plains in …
The Metis have been permanently settling on Turtle Mountain for over a hundred years.