Riel's family was Catholic, French-speaking Métis. At the Collge de Montréal, Riel's exotic background fascinated his classmates. "He knew about pemmican and the tomahawk," classmate Eustache ...

Michif, a Métis language spoken in parts of Canada and the U.S. that combines elements of Cree, French and other languages, is "critically endangered," the Métis Federation says. Andrew ...