Michif

The Michef language is a combination of French and Cree and can be spoken primarily by the Métis people across Canada, but also among those living in Treaty Six. The Métis people of Canada have a rich history and have its beginnings in the early fur trade, and are an important part of Canadian history. They originate through union of settlers in Canada and First Nation people. They built a distinct way of life that incorporated aspects of both cultures, and became uniquely their own, a phenomena often referred to as ethnogenesis. Over the last century, the Métis people faced many challenges. As a nation they struggled to be acknowledged for their identity, culture and way of life. Scrip was deceivingly created and designed to extinguish their Métis title for land or money. In some cases entire nations would be involuntary enfranchised, for example the Michel First Nation Band in Alberta. The downfall of the future trade, political tension and oppression towards them encouraged many to migrate west and are now spread vastly across the prairie provinces (Learn Michif, 2020).The Métis have significant cultural aspects to their way of life. Notably, their own unique culture, Red River Métis Cart, Red River Jig, Metis Fiddle and their own unique Michif language (Métis Nation of Alberta, 2020). Statistics Canada has provided interesting statistics on the amount of fluent speakers and found that only 1,170 can carry a conversation in Michif across Canada, and (Statistics Canada, 2017) and it is guessed there are only between a hundred to two hundred fluent speakers (CBC, 2019). Efforts are ongoing to preserve their language. 

To hear their language, the following video displays their language:

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