This research study explores the Metis self-creation process and the role that stories play in the ongoing creation of the self. Twelve Metis participants were interviewed about their Metis self-formation process (their sense of Metis self) and were asked to share stories depicting their experience of being Metis. A narrative methodology was used and theoretical literature was drawn from Aboriginal and post-colonial sources to provide context for the mixed-race experience of a colonized, Aboriginal people in Canada. The concept of the ‘third space’ was extrapolated from post-colonial theory to provide an explanation for being “in between.” This model explains how the Metis live their lives moving between the various cultural spaces of the Euro-Canadian world and the First Nations world while residing in a separate Metis world.

The results of this study show that Metis people employ specific strategies for moving in and between the various cultural worlds. They activate strategic responses for coping with life challenges, complex identity issues, racism, and the difficulties they face as a result of being both mixed-race and Aboriginal in a non-Aboriginal society. One of these strategies of self-preservation involves spending time in Metis settings, sharing stories, developing a Metis-centered analysis of life situations, and simply being with others who understand the Metis experience. This insider process may facilitate the ongoing evolution of the Metis as a cultural community and a political nation in Canada.