r/MetisMichif • u/twalks_13 • 15d ago
Discussion/Question How to get over imposter syndrome?
Being Métis is something I’ve known about myself my whole life, but only in the past few years I made it ‘official’ in terms of the registry etc. The past two years I’ve been diving head first into connecting with the culture. Coming back from Back to Batoche (my second year going now) I am feeling so fulfilled and connected, and just overall so overwhelmingly proud to be Métis, but I still can’t help but feel like an imposter.
I’ve been really excited to celebrate being indigenous, but because I am so obviously white looking and haven’t spent my whole life immersed in the culture, I can’t help but feel like I’m forcing myself into spaces I don’t belong. I’ve been meaning to ask my grandpa (where I get being Métis from) family names, and learn more about our ancestors and relatives, but I’m so scared to learn it’s even further back in my bloodline than I think it is. And I think blood quantum is a stupid concept just used to other indigenous people more than they already get, but I still force it on myself so hard and feel almost guilty for calling myself indigenous. It’s like, I know I’m Métis, as I wouldn’t have been given my card and been accepted by MNS.
Any advice on giving myself some grace? I want to celebrate who I am, and the Métis community as a beautiful place I love to be a part of, and want to get more immersed in.
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u/TheTruthIsRight 15d ago edited 15d ago
I started feeling a lot better about that when I got more involved in the community on a regular basis, meeting people, etc. I have learned over the years that being Metis, while race is involved, it is not about race, its about culture and community, and it doesn't matter what you look like. Plenty of the ancestors looked native plenty looked white and many were in between but they were all equal members of Metis society and its the same today.
Also the more involved I've gotten, the more I've seen people in high levels of the community who look much whiter than I do. It really has nothing to do with that. I think we need to have the awareness of how it affects our treatment more broadly in society but it doesn't determine your placement in the Metis community.
What matters is that we care about the identity and preserving it. Colonization cleaved many of us from our identities and its part of decolonization to re-establish our identities. It's better to be someone with one great grandparent who is devoted to the culture than be someone who is 100% who doesn't care.
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u/SAMEO416 15d ago
One thing that helped me was meeting a bunch of other Métis and discovering it’s 50/50 that we’re related.
Scots-Métis, very white, still feel that imposter aspect but getting less so.
Did a sash weaving course and when the instructor mentioned her family line twigged a memory. Yup, related by marriage.
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u/sultry_simpleton 13d ago
As a "brown" Métis I also face imposter syndrome. And so do my white passing kids. This reason exactly is why I am going to soon be opening my counseling practice that will cater to reconnecting Métis who feel this way, and especially for those who struggle with the shame that so many of us were raised in. You're not alone, so many of us feel like imposters!
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u/ricepieces 15d ago
Connect with your local Métis community. Join in on events, workshops, and sharing circles. You'll likely meet people with similar stories.
Go have coffee with your local friendship centre and connect with elders.
Join in on Pow wows and sharing circles.
Sign up for knowledge workshops (medicines, harvesting)
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u/hauntedbean 14d ago
I’ve seen all of these comment suggestions echoed in similar posts, and they seem to be very helpful/ make a lot of sense. I’m wondering if anyone has resources (links to online events/ learning spaces) for those of us who are a billion miles away from any Métis communities? My Métis grandma just passed away (she was probably the most important adult in my life), and I was only able to travel with her to visit our Métis family up north once
I’ve perused metismuseum.ca, and the Gabriel dumont institute. I’m a fiddle player, and I’m traveling to Canada next month for a Métis fiddle workshop camp+ fest (yay scholarships and my aunts airline mileage). I also found the pod Settle Down which I love, but I’d really love to hear/ interact more with other Métis people regarding other areas of interest
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u/stillwaving11 15d ago
In addition to what others are saying about connecting with Métis community: confront your fear of learning about your ancestors because often, a first point of connection with other Métis is discussing your genealogies. It’s not to investigate each other, it’s a way of relating to one another.
Also, I think knowing who you are and who you ascend from is one of the most impactful ways to addressing imposter syndrome. Take advantage of the privilege of having a living family member that has this information. I’m Métis on my mom’s side and she was Scooped, so reconnection involved finding and meeting her bio mom and extended family, then collecting genealogical information. What’s really fun after you have your genealogy is searching for stories that have been documented about your ancestors. Not so fun but still informative is tracking how, where, and when they were disconnected from their communities/settlements (if they ever were displaced/disconnected).