The Metis Nation of Ontario is currently looking to expand its French Michif language classes and resources for citizens and educators looking to learn and teach French Michif.

French Michif was developed among the Great Lakes during the 1600s and 1700s before expanding westward during the fur trade expansion.

Rene Laurin, a Metis Language Specialist with the MNO, held a Michif Language Information Session on August 23 in partnership with the Georgian Bay Metis Council at the Penetanguishene Public Library.

The session invited citizens to come to the library to not only get a crash course in the history of Michif and a quick lesson but also learn about the many resources available from the MNO. They also invited fluent Michif speakers to collaborate with the Metis Nation of Ontario to create resources for teaching Michif.

“I find if you don’t use it, you lose it,” says Metis artist, Patti Belanger, who attended the session. After taking sessions in the past, Belanger stated it was hard to continue to keep up with learning the language after classes ended. 

One suggestion for citizens looking to learn Michif was the holding of kitchen parties to practice the language. The MNO Language Department is currently working towards developing a French Michif app and expanding its educational curriculum for educators.

Some resources available from the MNO are flashcards, colouring pages, and Li Michif Franse Scrabble, which can be found on the MNO’s website.

If you are an MNO citizen and would like to contribute suggestions to the MNO, or are a fluent Michif speaker who would like to assist in developing resources, you can contact Rene Laurin at renel@metisnation.org.