The end of the 19th century marked a period of heightened nationalism for francophones in Canada. This impetus toward nation-building movement was particularly pronounced among Métis living on the Prairies. In 1884, under the leadership of Louis Riel, the Métis chose St. Joseph’s Day as their official patriotic and religious holiday, similar to St. Jean-Baptiste Day for French Canadians.

The Métis were unable to celebrate their national holiday in 1885. The events surrounding the Battle of Batoche and Riel's subsequent hanging under a charge of treason engendered a certain cultural and political fragility. Even so, the Métis soon revived the project of founding a national organization. And so, on the sidelines of the 1887 celebration, the Union Métisse Saint-Joseph was formed. The oldest French-speaking association still active in Manitoba, it is dedicated to safeguarding cultural traditions and promoting the economic and political advancement of the Métis people.

The 1910 constitution of this organization marked a turning point in its history because the word “national” was added to its name. This significant decision was intended to merge the various localities associated with the Métis into a single community of destiny. A separate flag was adopted for the Métis people, a white banner combining French and British symbols. Also, the constitution settled important internal debates. For example, some wanted to drop Catholicism and the French language as criteria for membership, but they were ultimately retained.

These decisions were made at a time when Métis and French-Canadians were using different tactics to counter the marginalization of the French language. The use of French as a language was banned in Manitoba from 1890 onwards. While French Canadians pinned their hopes on the lobbying of their education association, created in 1916, the Métis took a more frontal approach, demanding full compliance with section 23 of the Manitoba Act of 1870, which established the equality of French and English in the province.