Beyond Inclusion: Métis (in)visibility in Manitoba’s Education Policy Framework

Abstract

In 2022, the Province of Manitoba introduced Mamàhtawisiwin: the wonder we are born with, an Indigenous education policy framework. Mamàhtawisiwin emerged from extensive community consultations and collaboration with Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, educators, and stakeholders. While this collaborative development reflects a commitment to honouring Indigenous voices, its limitations in authentically representing Métis, Inuit, and First Nations priorities underscores the need for a different approach to Indigenous education frameworks. I argue that the framework’s use of “Indigenous” risks erasing the distinct priorities of the Métis and that the framework’s representation of Métis identity as mixed-race overlooks Métis nationhood and self-determination.