How to Apply for a Metis Status Card

To apply for a Metis status card (also known as Aboriginal status card, Indian status card), you must first obtain the information required to prove your native ancestors. If you’re wondering who qualifies for Metis status, generally anyone with native ancestors is biologically Metis. The card you have depends on who your ancestors were.

This usually means starting with yourself and working backwards through your family tree. You can’t randomly pick a Native American you were told you “might be related to” and try to match your tree to that person. This is why it can take some time to put your tree together and find a native ancestral line.

Start by making a family tree chart. Each person on the chart has 2 parents, so they become like branches on the tree (you can find blank tree charts online). Write your name and date of birth as the first person, then add your parents as branches in the next column, then your parents in the next column, etc., with each generation in a separate column. Add birth and marriage dates for each generation. Eventually you’ll need to search for archival records or church records from previous generations, but always work backwards in time, checking ancestors as you go.

If and when you find your native ancestors, you’ll need to get copies of all the records linking each generation along that line, because most organizations don’t do this for you without charging you a fee, since It consumes much time. The metis organizations are not funded by the government to find their native ancestors and test that line. It’s up to you to show them who you are. Some organizations will not verify your line at all and will simply decline membership.

For you, you need a birth or baptismal record showing who your parents were. Then, for each person along that line, you’ll need a record indicating who their parents were. This is usually referred to as a “long form” record, because it provides proof of parent names. Because some families have multiple people with the same name, the only way to know for sure if each person is fully documented is to have birth and marriage records that list the parents’ names. You’ll need records like this for each generation going back to your native ancestor. Names and dates obtained from regular Internet sites or family trees are not considered evidence. You should obtain copies of government or church records, or other legal documents, either online or from that agency.

Once you have copies of all actual records to prove your native line (no gaps in the unproven line), you need to figure out which Metis organization best fits your ancestry and will represent you as a member of your Metis community.

Metis organizations have different requirements, goals and offer different types of representation. They are generally not affiliated with each other and do not share the same membership information. They also offer various services for the application fee. Some only give Aboriginal status cards, others offer programs and services. If you are interested in getting help with your tree and also knowing the results of what is found, you should ask the organization about this service, how much it will cost and what you will get for your money as some provide information on your tree and some do not.

Before you apply, you may want to speak with your representatives or employees in person to help determine your likelihood of being accepted into your community and whether you believe your community better represents you and your ancestry. Some organizations may deny you status if you don’t have a specific type of proof, so you don’t want to find out that you paid an application fee and then they turned you down and then you have to pay another organization to apply. Registration. In contrast, other organizations may appear to require very little testing.

Either way, a strong Metis community record should contain documented evidence of every generation, from your baptism or birth record to your native ancestor, with no gaps. If you only have your standard issued birth certificate that does not list your parents’ names, then you should obtain your baptismal record from your church or your “long form” birth certificate, which is available from the government, and submit copies. to the organization You will also need this same type of document for each generation. This is the only way a registry can prove that all of its members are truly of Native American descent. The amount of funding an organization obtains will depend on the number of registrants with complete documentation and whether your organization is prepared to negotiate funding on your behalf.

Once you have decided which group to apply to and have your paperwork in order, you are ready to apply for your Metis Card.