A history of the East Prairie Metis settlement in northern Alberta from 1939-1979 as told by its original settlers and current residents.

In a series of inspirational profiles, Cora Voyageur celebrates 100 remarkable Indigenous Albertans whose achievements have enriched their communities, the province, and the world. As a child, Cora rarely saw Indigenous individuals represented in her history textbooks or in pop culture. Willie Nelson sang “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” but Cora wondered, where were the heroes who looked like her? She chose the title of her book in response, to help reflect her reality. In fact, you don’t have to look very hard to find Indigenous Albertans excelling in every field, from the arts to business and everything in between. Cora wrote this book to ensure these heroes receive their proper due. Some of the individuals in this collection need no introduction, while others are less well known. From past and present and from all walks of life, these 100 Indigenous heroes share talent, passion, and legacies that made a lasting impact. Read about: - Douglas Cardinal, the architect whose iconic, flowing designs grace cities across Alberta, across Canada, and in Washington, DC, - Nellie Carlson, a dedicated activist whose work advanced the cause of Indigenous women and the education of Indigenous children, - Alex Janvier, whose pioneering work has firmly established him as one of Canada’s greatest artists, - Moostoos, “The Buffalo,” the spokesperson for the Cree in Treaty 8 talks who fought tirelessly to defend his People’s rights, - And many more.

The first comprehensive account of Métis history and of present day goals, including origins, the Manitoba and Northwest Rebellions, land issues, the Dirty Thirties, the revival of the 1960s and current efforts to achieve land settlements, constitutional protection and self-government.

“Education is the new buffalo” is a metaphor widely used among Indigenous peoples in Canada to signify the importance of education to their survival and ability to support themselves, as once Plains nations supported themselves as buffalo peoples. The assumption is that many of the pre-Contact ways of living are forever gone, so adaptation is necessary. But Chelsea Vowel asks, “Instead of accepting that the buffalo, and our ancestral ways, will never come back, what if we simply ensure that they do?” Inspired by classic and contemporary speculative fiction, Buffalo Is the New Buffalo explores science fiction tropes through a Métis lens: a Two-Spirit rougarou (shapeshifter) in the nineteenth century tries to solve a murder in her community and joins the nêhiyaw-pwat (Iron Confederacy) in order to successfully stop Canadian colonial expansion into the West. A Métis man is gored by a radioactive bison, gaining super strength, but losing the ability to be remembered by anyone not related to him by blood. Nanites babble to babies in Cree, virtual reality teaches transformation, foxes take human form and wreak havoc on hearts, buffalo roam free, and beings grapple with the thorny problem of healing from colonialism. Indigenous futurisms seek to discover the impact of colonization, remove its psychological baggage, and recover ancestral traditions. These eight short stories of “Métis futurism” explore Indigenous existence and resistance through the specific lens of being Métis. Expansive and eye-opening, Buffalo Is the New Buffalo rewrites our shared history in provocative and exciting ways.

"From the late 1930s onward, early settlers of East Prairie Metis Settlement arrived on the land with little in the way of money or possessions. Instead, they brought courage, determination, and the capacity for hard work. Firsthand accounts of the settlers, as well as the vivid memories of today's Elders, capture the heart and soul of eighty years of East Prairie's Metis people."-- Back cover.

Focuses on the Métis in Canada but also includes some articles and annotated references on the Métis in the United States.