Being a Metis woman : our lived stories

Abstract

The purpose of my study was to describe the lived stories of four Metis women in the form of collective narratives. And, as a Metis woman, I have reflected on the collective narratives as a way of interpreting and making meaning out of our lived stories in order to gain knowledge. The literature which I reviewed as I came to understand the parameters of my study included the stories of Metis women which have been published in literary forms. As well, I reviewed literature pertaining to stories as an expression of human existence, the study of meaning in stories, and stories, meaning and knowledge. The research was conducted using a qualitative research design. The participants and I engaged in conversations, and the stories which emerged formed the content of my data. After I was given approval from my participants to use their lived stories, I created the collective narratives as an expression of how I understand our stories. The stories were presented as three collective narratives: identity, family and soul murder. Then, I reflected on each of the collective narratives as an example of how I make meaning and gain knowledge.The findings from my study suggest that the stories emerged in a collective manner and that I, as a Metis woman, view our stories collectively and not as singular entities. As well, my reflections present a written account of how I make meaning from the collective narratives as a way to gain knowledge. As a cultural insider, I may be presenting a perspective in understanding our lived stories which has not been articulated in the past. The main contribution which this study may provide is an opportunity to begin to understand the loss and the absence of voice of some Metis women.