Métis flag facts for kids
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| Use | Blue version |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 1816 |
| Design | Infinity symbol on a blue background |
Variant flag of Metis Flag
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| Use | Red version |
| Adopted | 1815 |
| Design | Infinity symbol on a red background |
The Métis flag was first used by Métis people in Rupert's Land. This was before the 1816 Battle of Seven Oaks. Some say the flag was a gift from the North West Company in 1815. However, other old stories do not confirm this. Both the red and blue versions of the flag have been used by the Métis since then. The Métis flag is very old. It was created at least 150 years before the Flag of Canada. It is the oldest patriotic flag that comes from Canada's Indigenous peoples.
The blue flag is now the official flag of the Métis National Council. In 2013, the Métis National Council protected the flag. They made it an official mark to keep it safe as a symbol of the Métis Nation. This makes sure all Métis citizens own it together.
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What the Métis Flag Means
The flag shows a white infinity symbol on a background that is either blue or red. People have many ideas about what the colors and the symbol mean.
Here are some ideas about the infinity symbol:
- It might mean that Métis culture will live on forever.
- It could show the mixing of European and First Nations peoples. The two joined circles symbolize these two cultures coming together.
- The infinity symbol might also relate to traditional Métis dances. For example, in the quadrille dance, people move in a figure-eight pattern.
- Some think it connects to Celtic knotwork and Scottish designs. These include Celtic knots and the figure-eight in Scottish country dance.
- Others suggest the symbol comes from Plains Indian Sign Language. It might be the sign for "cart" combined with the sign for "Man." This refers to the Métis' use of the Red River cart.
People also have different ideas about what the colors of the Métis flags mean:
- Some believe the red flag stands for the Hudson's Bay Company. They think the blue flag stands for the North West Company. However, both companies actually used red flags.
- Others say the blue flag is for French-speaking Métis. They believe the red flag is for English-speaking Métis.
- Some think the blue and white colors come from the Flag of Scotland and the traditional colors of Quebec.
- Another idea is that the red flag was for Métis in Manitoba and the Northwest Territory. The blue flag was for Métis in Saskatchewan. But the first red flag was seen in Saskatchewan, and the first blue flag in Manitoba.
- The colors might also depend on how the flag was used. Some say the red flag was a Métis Hunting Flag. It let others know they were a hunting party, not at war. The flag-bearer would guide the group. Because bison hunting trips could lead to fights, like the Battle of Grand Coteau, the blue flag might have been a war standard.
- Some people think the flag started as someone's idea for a Métis flag. They might have tried out both red and blue designs. The main part, the white infinity symbol, stayed the same.
It is hard to know the exact history of the flag. There are no clear first-hand records that describe how it was created.
History of the Métis Flag
In the past, flags flown in Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory included the Hudson's Bay Company
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flags, along with the Union Jack.
Métis oral traditions say that the Métis created the infinity flag themselves. They called it Li Paviiyoon di Michif in the Michif language. Some stories say that Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield gave a flag to the Métis working for the North West Company in 1814. This helped create the Métis Nation. But there are no clear records to prove this story.
Early Sightings of the Flag
The Métis flag was first mentioned by James Sutherland in 1815. He saw a red flag with an infinity symbol. It was being flown by Cuthbert Grant at Qu'Appelle. Sutherland heard a rumor that the North West Company had given the flag as a gift in early 1815. But he had no proof.
Sutherland wrote about seeing the flag again in early 1816. He said it was flown along with the North West Company's flag. He also heard that the flag was flying to honor Cuthbert Grant. Grant had been named "Captain General" of all the Métis in the country. It also celebrated news that Métis from other areas would join Grant to remove the English from Red River.
Sutherland wrote his account from memory. He had destroyed his papers so the North West Company could not take them.
Other Accounts and the Blue Flag
Other old records about gifts given to the Métis by the North West Company do not mention a flag. For example, gifts were given at Fort William in June 1815. These included swords for actions against the Red River Colony. But no flag was mentioned.
Colin Robertson, who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company, also wrote about gifts given to the Métis in September 1815. He mentioned rum and tobacco, but no flag. He also wrote about a speech and gifts from Duncan Cameron in late 1814. Again, no flag was mentioned.
Peter Fidler also reported seeing a red Métis flag with an infinity symbol around March 12, 1816. This was on the Qu'Appelle River. He heard rumors that the North West Company was trying to get the Métis to act against the Hudson's Bay Company. But he did not say the flag was a gift.
On June 1, 1816, Peter Fidler wrote in his journal that the Métis, led by Cuthbert Grant, were flying a blue flag with an infinity symbol. This was when they attacked the Hudson's Bay Company's Brandon House. This happened just weeks before the Battle of Seven Oaks on June 19, 1816. We do not know why the flag's color changed. Fidler did not give information about where the flag came from.
Other Flags Used by the Métis
Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia
The Métis set up a temporary government called the Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia on December 8, 1869. They flew a flag. There are many descriptions of this flag:
- It was often white.
- It usually had a fleur-de-lis (a French symbol) and a shamrock (an Irish symbol).
- Sometimes, it also had a small bison.
Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
Another temporary government was set up by Louis Riel at Batoche on March 19, 1885. We do not know if this government had a specific flag. However, a Métis Battle Standard was used at the Battle of Batoche. This flag was blue. It had a wolf's head and a hand (palm outward) in the middle. It also had a banner with the Michif words "maisons ... autels ... Surtout Liberté". This means "homes, altars, above all liberty."
