Michif is the official language of the Metis people. Like the ancestral heritage of the Metis people, Michif is also a mixture of European and Native American. Primarily French and Cree, there are also some English words with Assiniboine and Ogibwa terms.

When the Europeans came to Canada to become fur traders many took Native American women to be their brides. It was the children of these marriages that the language began. Most of the men did not speak Cree and the wives did not speak French so their children grew up learning both languages in a blended fashion.

As Michif is spoken you can actually hear the two different languages that make up this one unique language. Although Michif uses French nouns and Cree verbs it is not a simple "fill in the blanks" way of speech. Michif takes both complex parts of each of its primary languages, the French masculine and feminine structure, and the Cree living and non-living structure.

Until recently Michif was a dying language. Many parents and grandparents did not pass on their heritage because of persecution from non-Metis in their community. Most of the people speaking Michif were over 45. Fortunately with a renewed interest and pride in their heritage, younger Metis peoples are relearning their heritage and language.