noun
- Plural of métisse; women of mixed racial or ethnic descent, particularly those with Indigenous and European ancestry in Canadian and French colonial contexts.
Usage: French origin; primarily historical and cultural term; Often capitalized when referring to Métis peoples of Canada; May be considered dated in modern usage; 'Métis' is the preferred contemporary term
Examples
- The metisses of the fur trade era played crucial roles in their communities.
- Historical records document the lives of metisses in colonial North America.
- Many metisses maintained cultural traditions from both their Indigenous and European heritage.
- The term metisses reflects the complex family histories of the region.