The Mountain Métis are descendants of Iroquois and European fur traders who traveled west with the North West Company and Hudson’s Bay Company during the early 18th century. The Mountain Métis identity emerged as a result of Scottish and French bloodlines Intermingling with Iroquois, Beaver, Chippewa and Sekani tribes. The Mountain Métis language became known as ‘Néhiyawéwin,’ (Cree). These fur trader families settled in the Athabasca Valley and homesteaded the region for over a century until the Jasper Exodus.

In the early 1900’s, an order in council was passed by the Federal government to create Jasper National Park. The Mountain Métis families were forcefully evicted from the area by government officials who sealed their guns, leaving them with no means of survival. They eventually resettled in areas of west central Alberta Including Edson, Robb, Marlboro, Hinton, and Grande Cache.

Today, Mountain Métis members continue their close connection with the land and follow Traditional practices such as hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering of plant medicines and berries. They are known as the horseback people who guide and outfit In the Canadian Rockies as did their ancestors. Legendary Mountain Métis forefathers include. Jacco Findlay, Ignace Wanyandie, Louis Karakontle, Jacque Tappe, Tete Jaune, Pierre and Peter Delorme, Adam Joachim, Pierre Grey, John and Ewan Moberly. The Mountain Métis Grandfathers were the guides for famous early explorers. They were also successful “otipemisiwak” (freemen), and some were educated and spoke multiple languages including Cree, English, French and Latin.