Final answer:
The Francophone Métis settled primarily in the Red River Valley and Saskatchewan River region, distinct from the traditional French colonial areas like the St. Lawrence River Valley.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Francophone Métis primarily settled in the Red River Valley and Saskatchewan River region. This area became a central point of settlement for the Métis, who are people of mixed European and Indigenous descent, particularly of French and Cree or Ojibwa ancestry. The establishment of Métis settlements in this region was connected to the fur trade and the availability of resources they could harvest and trade.
The French initially colonized areas in Canada, such as the St. Lawrence River Valley and the Great Lakes. However, the Métis settlements were not solely confined to the traditional French colonial territories; they emerged as distinct communities largely in the Canadian West, more inland than the earliest French settlements, due to economic and social factors, including the fur trade and the desire for maintaining a distinct Métis culture and way of life.
Ultimately, their leadership, including figures like Louis Riel, sought to protect their rights and land as Canada expanded westward, leading to the establishment of the province of Manitoba, to which the Métis contributed significantly.