Métis Scrip Lecture with William Benoit

Join us at Onsite Gallery for an eye-opening lecture with William Benoit as he unpacks the complex history and legacy of Métis scrip—a government-issued certificate that profoundly shaped Métis land rights and dispossession in Canada.

Benoit will provide historical context, personal insights, and critical reflections on how Métis scrip continues to impact Métis communities today. This talk offers an invaluable opportunity to deepen the public's understanding of Métis history, colonial policies, and the ongoing work toward recognition and reconciliation.

View Registration Page

About William Benoit

Retired Indigenous Advisor and Advisor to the Deputy Librarian and Archivist, Library and Archives Canada, William Benoit is Red River Metis. He was raised in the historic parish of Saint Norbert at the southern edge of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has a background in Canadian history and Indigenous genealogy.

William worked at Library and Archives Canada since 2008. While at Library and Archives Canada, his role has varied. He developed and led tours of its facilities for Indigenous visitors as well as provided the institution and its senior management with both strategic and operational advice on the Indigenous files. This work included the editing of both internal and external facing materials such as senior management presentations, updating web content on Indigenous Peoples, development of harmful content warnings and responding to questions from Indigenous citizens and governments, journalists and academics.

He is most proud of his work to get the Métis scrip material and its associated documents digitized to improve accessibility.

Banner image credit: 

Rosalie Favell, Stealing Home, 2021, from the series Family Legacy. Installation view, Rosalie Favell | Belonging (1982 – 2024), 2025, Onsite Gallery, OCAD University, Toronto. Image courtesy of Onsite Gallery.