Senator Micheline Boisvert ready to visit the students and her replica of a voyageur canoe
Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Senators are very involved with their communities and seldom miss the opportunity to pass on their knowledge of Métis traditions and heritage to young people and the general public.
On March 4, Senator Micheline Boisvert of the MNO Chapleau Métis Council paid a visit to Sacré Coeur Primary School and Trillium High School, both in Chapleau, where she gave presentations on Métis culture and traditions.
Using her replica of a voyageur canoe that was given to her by Métis canoe builder Marcel Labelle as a visual, Senator Boisvert explained the process of building a canoe and how the Métis people used them for travelling.
She also provided an overview of Métis traditional knowledge, including traditional healing. The students and teachers were given the opportunity to view, touch and smell cage, cedar, tamarac, wild menthe and buffalo sage while learning the benefits of each.
Senator Boisvert provided gifts to the class; friendship bracelets made out of buffalo, deer and moose hide were given to the students and medicine bags were given to the teachers.