%0 Journal Article
%T Ka oopikihtamashook¡¯: becoming family
%A Krystl Raven
%J AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples
%@ 1174-1740
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/1177180118821170
%X Ka oopikihtamashook¡¯ (adoption) describes the way M¨¦tis people incorporated related and non-related individuals into their families and community. This practice went beyond genetics and identified value in virtue in order to build relationships and grow the M¨¦tis Nation. Underscoring this process was the concept of wahkootowin, a unique Indigenous approach to creating and maintaining relationships. The adoption of orphaned relatives, for instance, allowed adopted parents to pass on M¨¦tis culture and beliefs. In addition, 19th century archival records and oral histories indicate that adoption often incorporated children outside the family bloodline. The famous M¨¦tis buffalo hunt chiefs, Jean-Baptiste Wilkie and Cuthbert Grant, were both adopted by their M¨¦tis communities. Similarly, Gabriel Dumont and his wife Madeleine adopted several children, and the M¨¦tis interpreter for Treaty 6 Peter Erasmus adopted a young Peigan boy. This article explores these adoptions more fully and contextualizes them within Ka oopikihtamashook¡¯ and wahkootowin practices
%K adoption
%K M¨¦tis
%K 19th century
%K identity
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1177180118821170