Bead by Bead

Bead by Bead lays bare the failure of judicial doctrine and government policy to address Métis rights, and offers constructive insights on ways to advance reconciliation.

What does the phrase Métis peoples mean in constitutional terms? As lawyers and scholars debate the nature and scope of Métis identity and constitutional rights, understanding Métis experience of colonization is fundamental to achieving reconciliation.

In Bead by Bead, contributors address the historical denial of Métis concerns and claims with respect to land, resources, and governance. Tackling such themes as the invisibility of Métis women in court decisions, identity politics, and racist legal principles, they uncover the troubling issues that plague Métis aspirations for a just future.

This nuanced analysis of the parameters that current Indigenous legal doctrines place around Métis rights discourse moves beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. By revealing the complexity and diversity of Métis identities and lived reality, it opens new pathways to respectful, inclusive Métis-Canadian constitutional relationships.