M�tis descendants in Michigan have started a new organization to preserve their culture and educate others about it.

Val Cochran-Toops is the founder of the American M�tis Aboriginal Association Lodge. She says she wants to pay respect to her Indian and European upbringing.

Metis are descendants of Indian women who married French and other European settlers. They formed distinct groups in Canada, where they do not have official status, and the U.S., where some belong to members of federally recognized tribes.

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M�tis clan blends Indian culture with Christianity (The Jackson Citizen Patriot 8/18)