For over two centuries, the Métis have fought for recognition as an Indigenous people and as a Nation. It’s a story worth telling, but until recently, it hasn’t been heard enough.

The True Canadians podcast is based the book of the same name, and refers to the fact that the Métis truly are people born of this land — well before Canada became a country of its own.

Host David Wylynko is a media consultant, writer, and former journalist. He grew up in the Winnipeg suburb of Fort Garry, not far from the actual Fort Garry, where the Métis first set up a provisional government in 1869, and he’s had a lifelong fascination with the Métis. 

While he and his co-author, Patricia Russell, a Métis writer and former CBC journalist, were touring the country to promote the book, they discovered that readers wanted to know more about the people, places, events, and milestones featured in the pages of The True Canadians. A podcast seemed to be the best way to share what they learned. So they invited some of the personalities they wrote about, and some new voices, to tell more of their stories.

Each episode digs deeper into the important roles the Métis have played — and are continuing to play — in the evolution of Canada. Listeners will get to know the leaders, the artists, and the executives who are defining what it means to be Métis in the twenty-first century, and hear about the ongoing campaigns to win recognition, forge a stronger sense of community, and advance genuine reconciliation with other Canadians.

Original music for the podcast was composed and performed by Metis fiddler Alex Kusturok. Each episode begins with the words of the late Métis leader Jim Sinclair, delivered at the closing of the 1987 Meech Lake negotiations in Ottawa.

The podcast is available on most podcasting platforms, including:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Amazon

Latest episode

A treasured Métis tradition

Harvesting is a proud and age-old Métis tradition extending back to the fur trade. It contributes significantly to Métis recognition, as perhaps best illustrated in the Powley legal case (R. v. Powley, 2003 SCC 43O), which argued Métis hunting rights were enshrined in section 35 of the Constitution Act. In a major victory, the Supreme Court ruled the Powleys were exercising lawful Métis hunting rights. Though he has little interest in politics, Craig Letendre is a prime authority on harvesting, and responsible for overseeing the portfolio for the Otipemisiwak Métis Government.

In the latest episode of The True Canadians podcast, Craig traces his interest in harvesting to the lessons his grandparents gave him when he was growing up in Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. Today, Craig helps Métis hunters and fishers across the province understand their Indigenous rights and runs a series of increasingly popular fishing camps. As he tells host David Wylynko, the Métis approach to managing wildlife resources isn’t about hard quotas, but what it takes to feed a family. He also provides a few tips on how to snare rabbits and when not to hunt for moose.

Resources:

• ⁠Otipemisiwak Métis Government Harvesting report⁠
• ⁠⁠The True Canadians⁠⁠ book
• Intro and outro music by Métis musician ⁠⁠Alex Kusturok⁠⁠
• Opening quote from ⁠⁠an address by Métis leader Jim Sinclair⁠⁠ during the 1987 Canadian constitutional talks

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