Description
Memories of a Metis Settlement: Eighty Years of East Prairie Metis Settlement, with Firsthand Memories 1939 to Today published by Theytus in 2018 is a brief account of one Metis community in Alberta. Based on a 1979 publication, East Prairie Metis, 1939 to 1979, Forty Years of Determination, editor Constance Brissenden was chosen by the community to update their community history. This 102-page oral history describes the lives of key Metis families and their efforts to maintain a community. Through archival photographs and first-person narratives this often overlooked community comes alive through stories about building homes, a school, farming, and providing for their families. One fascinating account explains how Metis women came to legally vote and own land. The year was 1982. The book provides clear accounts of Alberta Metis settlements that stress their unique features. In 1938 Alberta officially passed legislation recognizing 8 Metis Settlements including East Prairie. It had taken many decades of lobbying the provincial government before the Metis acquired their own communities. The final chapter includes brief biographies of Metis men and women from the community. A list of individuals who had resided in East Prairie from its establishment is provided. Included in the book are simple recipes such as Bachelor Bannock, Sweet and Sour Moose Ribs, and High Bush Cranberry Jelly. This fascinating account of a Metis community is an important addition to the historical accounts often overlooked by general Canadian history texts. Recommended.