(Front, left to right) Alvina Cimon, President of the Northwest Métis Nation of Ontario
Council; Juliette Dennis, Women’s Representative, Sudbury Métis Council;
Pat Taylor, Women’s Representative, Georgian Bay Métis Council.
(Standing, left to right) Barbaranne Wright, Women’s Representative,
Niagara Region Métis Council; Lisa Pigeau, MNO Health and Wellness Manager;
Brenda Powley, Senator, Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Council; Sharon McBride,
MNO Vice-chair and spokesperson for the Women’s Secretariat of the MNO (WSMNO);
Pearl Gabona, Women’s Representative, Oshawa and Durham Region Métis Council;
Joanne Hamlin, Women’s Representative, Thunder Bay Métis Council;
Chris Action, Women’s Representative, Temiskaming Métis Council.
The Women of the Métis Nation (WMN), Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, held their National Assembly in Edmonton on March 30-31, 2012. Led by MNO Vice-chair Sharon McBride, the spokesperson for the Women’s Secretariat of the MNO (WSMNO), the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) sent a contingent of ten women: Alvina Cimon, Juliette Dennis, Pat Taylor, Barbaranne Wright, Lisa Pigeau, Brenda Powley, Pearl Gabona, Joanne Hamlin, and Chris Action. Delegates were also present from British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
Three women were presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the WMN’s newly elected president, Melanie Omeniho. One of the medals went to Jean Teillet. Ms. Teillet is not only the lawyer for the MNO, she was instrumental in leading the historic Powley case to the Supreme Court where she received a unanimous judgment in favour of the Powleys.
Sharon McBride reports that, “we started working on strategic planning and priorities, with one of them being communications–a new website, new logo and brochure….The website will be linked to both the MNO and MNC websites….I will keep you updated when it goes live.”