Candidate for Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council Region 9 Youth Representative
Taanishi! My name is Kaitlyn Anderson-Mitchell, and I am running for the Region Nine Youth Representative position on the MNO’s Youth Council. I am a proud Metis woman descended from the Desmarais, Bercier, Anderson, and Erasmus families. My family comes from the Red River Settlement and Northern Manitoba, although I have lived in Region Nine all my life. I am a student at Huron University College at Western University in London, and I am majoring in religious studies. I am an avid beader, and I enjoy horseback riding, sewing, and reading. I have served as the Youth Representative on the Thames Bluewater Metis Council for six years, and I am eager to continue serving Metis youth from across the region.
During my time as youth representative, I have worked hard to better the lives of our youth. I have been involved in the planning and implementation of numerous youth camps. I also created and continue to manage the Thames Bluewater Council’s Lending Library which provides Indigenous books to community members and ensures everyone has access to Indigenous literature. I dedicated a large portion of the library to children’s and young adult books, this was a priority to me as youth are the future of our nation. Also during my time on council, I have held numerous beading circles and taught lots of youth how to bead. I have also helped deliver over 50 food hampers to community members.
It is my mission to ensure that every Metis youth has access to their culture, language, and arts, and if I am elected, I will continue to work to make this goal a reality. I will continue to pass on my knowledge of traditional Metis art forms, and I will advocate for the funding of arts programs for youth. As well, I believe the future of the Metis Nation depends on our economic sovereignty, on the ability for Metis citizens to build successful businesses. If elected I will advocate for small business owners and I will request that the youth council support Metis businesses over non-Metis businesses whenever possible. I also know that many Metis youth feel disconnected from their culture and other Metis. In the role of youth representative, I would work with the youth council to connect Metis youth with one another and build a strong community. Finally, during my time in high school, I noticed that oftentimes Metis high schoolers are left out of the discussion and are underrepresented. If you choose to vote for me, I will advocate for high school specific programming and ensure that our younger youth are always included in the discussion.
If you have any questions about my campaign, feel free to reach out to me. My email is Kaitlyn4region9@gmail.com and my Instagram is @kaitlyn.a.dash.m. I look forward to connecting with youth from across our region.