Candidate for Secretary Treasurer
I am a young Ontario Metis with a Drummond Island heritage, living in the historic Metis community of Mudtown in Owen Sound.
I grew up in Grey County, learning the importance of hard work and community values. I am a harvester who has supplied the Metis community with venison.
Some of my experiences and training:
Aboriginal Leadership Opportunity Year – RMC Kingston, ON (2015-2016)
Leadership studies
Indigenous history
Top candidate award
Junior combat arms officer in the Canadian Forces (2015-2018)
RMC Cadet Wing
Grey and Simcoe Foresters – Owen Sound
BSc in Computing and Information Systems, minor in Business Management (2017-2020)
Part-time and full-time studies as available.
My background and studies are in leadership, computer science, and business management. I have taken several courses in high school and university on business, accounting and financial management. I believe that there should be better efficiency and utilization of resources in the MNO for services– automate what can be automated and make more personal what can be made more personal.
I am a staunch believer in the authenticity of the Ontario Metis, both in the past and in the present. As an un-treatied aboriginal group, I believe that we still have the rights and means to determine our own path. We are our own people, and our rights extend back beyond the arrival and control of the colonials.
I am running for Treasurer of the PCMNO because I believe there is a lot of work to be done in making the MNO more transparent and efficient. I want my legacy to be that I gave my best effort for the Ontario Metis in a critical time of their growth and development.
I believe in rights for Metis people, accountability, small government, and efficiency. I am happy to discuss any of the issues below, and even learn more about these issues from people who have more experience or insight.
Self–government: As we progress towards self-government, I believe it should be just that– a government by the Metis people of Ontario, not a top-heavy and unaccountable organization.
Community: The local councils and citizens are crucial to the survival of Metis culture and rights. We need to provide more funding and resources to local councils and local Metis communities.
Citizenship: I don’t believe we should let outside organizations try to dictate our history and who we are to us. That is up to us to determine as MNO citizens. The decision to review the registry and mark citizenship files as “incomplete” was rejected at the 2017 AGA and should be revisited.
Innovations: We could do a better job with keeping citizens informed through better communication channels. We need innovations and better tools for handling and understanding our data.
Rights: Currently, we hold all the cards. Our rights aren’t given to us by court cases, they are simply enforced by court cases. We need to preserve our rights for the long term.
For more information:
Website: https://www.michaelstranks.ca
Email: info@michaelstranks.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Stranks-MNO-2020-110870140607222/