Metis: The Life and Times of Charles de Langlade

Metis: The Life and Times of Charles de Langlade

Metis is a fictional retelling of the life of Charles de Langlade an 18th century French-Canadian military leader. Langlade's father was a French fur trader and his mother was an Odawa princess. As such, he was ideally positioned to bridge French, Canadian, and Native cultures. Metis tells Langlade's story through a series of interviews by P. V. Lawson a reporter for the newly established New-York Evening Post . Langlade lead French and Native forces in the war to defend their homelands from British aggression. In particular, Langlade was the key figure in the defeat of General Braddock and Colonel Washington at the Monongahela. Traversing great distances across the North American landscape, Langlade was present at almost all of the key battles of the French and Indian War. Although his side lost the war, his skills and connections were so valuable that he was retained by the British as their key liaison with Midwestern Native tribes. Langlade later fought with the British against the American colonists in the American Revolution. Finding himself yet again on the losing side, he was so well-respected that the Americans also retained his services in a similar capacity. A remarkable man who lived a remarkable life.