S2 Episode 4: Church and State Muddied Water

Métis people have a complicated relationship with the Church. For some, Catholicism is an important part of their identity; for others it is a reminder of the harm done by colonization, particularly when it comes to the role Christian churches played in residential schools and a state-sponsored attempt to assimilate Indigenous people. As we look at Canada’s attempts to control Manitoba after 1870, we see some of the ways Catholics -- French Canadian Catholics in particular -- worked alongside the Métis to assert their rights. We also see what makes the two groups different, and why many Métis people today are leaving behind their Catholic roots and seeking ceremony and the traditions held by First Nations elders.