tilixam
ɬaksta (Who)
na tilixam (My Family)
Our Family Line Series
A multi‑episode documentary tracing eleven ancestral lines across three homelands and 250 years.
Series Introduction
An overview of the series, its purpose, and how the eleven lines form one story.
Series Methodology
Our Family Story – 3 Worlds
The big‑picture narrative of how northern, prairie, and coastal worlds shaped our family
Our Family Lines
A complete, structured index of all episodes, pages, and navigation paths in the series.
Bird Line
The northern‑interior line rooted in York Factory, Fort Severn, and early Red River leadership.
Thomas Line
The officer‑class lineage connecting Red River governance, diplomacy, and Métis community life.
Sutherland Line
An Orkney–Métis family whose descendants shaped the Red River Settlement and prairie world.
Cromartie Line
A northern‑interior Métis line linking Fort Severn, Red River, and the Saskatchewan homesteads.
Hourie Line
An Orkney–Cree family central to the Red River and Saskatchewan River kinship networks.
Cook-Cocking Line
An officer‑class lineage woven deeply into Red River’s Cree and Métis communities.
Spence Line
A foundational Orkney–Cree family whose descendants shaped early Red River society.
Batt Line
A prairie‑era Métis line rooted in Cree matrilines and Red River community life.
Park Line
An Orkney–Métis family connecting Red River to the northern interior through marriage and kinship.
Flett Line
A Métis family bridging Orkney ancestry, Cree kinship, and Red River parish life.
Brager Line
A Scandinavian‑American immigrant line that converges with the Bird and Cromartie families in Saskatchewan and BC.
Our Network Summary
A panoramic overview of how all eleven lines interconnect across regions, eras, and kinship systems.
Conclusion Reflection
A closing reflection on identity, continuity, and the meaning of this multi‑lineage story.
Our Kinship Lines
Our Kinship Clusters
A structural map of the major kinship clusters that link the eleven lines across generations.
chaku miɬayt na tilixam (Come Meet My Family)
James “Jemmy Jock” Bird, born around 1798 in Saskatchewan, was an influential cultural broker and diplomat. He navigated multiple economic systems and worked for various companies while maintaining strong ties to his Indigenous roots. His marriages established key alliances, and his legacy continues through descendant lines and oral histories in the northern Plains.
Biography — James Curtis Bird (1773–1856)
James Curtis Bird, born in 1773 in England, became a significant figure in the history of Rupert’s Land. As a Chief Factor and diplomat, he played crucial roles during key events like the Pemmican War and the Selkirk Treaty. His leadership helped shape the political landscape and the Métis homeland, leaving a lasting legacy.
Biography — George Bird (1795–1855)
George Bird, born in 1795 at South Branch House, was the first Métis son of Chief Factor James Bird. Raised in a multicultural environment of the fur trade, he became a skilled hunter and community leader. Married to Ann Thomas, their union linked influential Métis families. His life illustrates the emergence of the Métis identity and kinship networks in the Northwest.
Biography — James “Jemmy Jock” Bird (c.1798–1892)
Biography — Thomas Thomas (c. 1765–1828)
Thomas Thomas, born in Wales circa 1765, became a pivotal figure in the Hudson’s Bay Company, rising from clerk to Governor of the Northern Department. His partnership with Sarah, a Cree woman, established a prominent Métis kinship network, influencing Red River and Saskatchewan communities. His legacy shaped Métis leadership and cultural integration for generations.
Biography — James Sutherland Sr. (c. 1777–1844)
James Sutherland Sr., born circa 1777 in Orkney, began his career as a laborer for the Hudson’s Bay Company, advancing to roles as interpreter and postmaster in the Red River District. He signed the Selkirk Treaty in 1817 and fostered a significant Métis kinship network through his marriage and children, shaping early Métis society.
Biography — James Sutherland Jr. (1817–1906)
James Sutherland Jr., born in the Red River Settlement in 1817, was a key figure bridging the fur-trade era and prairie homesteading. He married Maria Bird, connecting influential Métis kinship networks, and fathered a large family. His life journey reflects the broader migration of Métis families into Saskatchewan, where he passed away in 1906.
Biography — John Park (c. 1760s–1847)
John Park, an early settler in the Red River region, played a crucial role in establishing the Park–Mattise–Cromartie kinship line, contributing to the formation of Métis families. His partnership with Indigenous woman Margaret Mattise represents one of the first mixed-descent households, laying foundations for future generations and community networks.
tilixam iliʔi pipa (Family Land Scrip)
tilixam HBC pipa (Family HBC Bio Sheets)
chinuk ikta (Chinook Things)
sho pitr chinuk-tʼsəm mamuk (Joe Peter Chinook Transcription Project)
Category:
scrip
Indigenous
,
land
,
Métis
,
scrip
Paid in Paper (Pt 2): How My Métis Ancestors Bought Back Their Own Homeland
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