Michif (also Mitchif, Mechif, Michif-Cree, Métif, Métchif, French Cree) is the language of the Métis people of Canada and the United States, who are the descendants of First Nations women (mainly Cree, Nakota and Ojibwe) and fur trade workers of European ancestry (mainly French and Scottish Canadians). Michif emerged in the early 19th century as a mixed language (not to be confused with a creole) and adopted a consistent character between about 1820 and 1840.