The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is excited to announce the relaunch of the “My Métis Story” – Métis language and culture documentation project, designed to bring families together to share their stories of Metis language, culture, and way of life experiences.
The project looks to document Métis language and culture, by supporting participants to capture their stories, thoughts, memories, and experiences about their Métis culture, language, and way of life, as well as those of their family members, relatives, and other community knowledge holders.
The “My Metis Story” is a project that is scheduled to take place over 6 months, kicking off with a virtual meeting for participants on October 15th, 2022 and wrapping up with a participant gathering in February, 2023.
Participants will receive a documentation kit, that includes materials and equipment to support documentation, including guides and resources throughout the project intended to spark inspiration, and provide suggested topics or activities for documentation, journaling, self-interviewing, or the interviewing of family and community members.
The relevance of this project is critical to documenting our stories, customs, traditions and history. The fear of losing this information, that it may never be shared or handed down for generations to come, makes this work significant. The MNO is working diligently to preserve our language by creating a number of activities to aid and benefit in keeping our vibrant culture alive.
Our goal, aside from preservation is to connect families to the traditional Métis way of life. To pass down the histories of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents; bringing those relationships into the present to perpetuate our culture for generations to come.
Successful applicants will be invited to attend a Project Kick-Off meeting on Saturday October 15, 2022- 1 pm – 4pm – Virtually through Zoom
The Project is open to individuals or households who meet the following criteria:
● Individuals and families who are Métis language speakers.
● Individuals and families with connections to Métis languages.
● Individuals who are Citizens of the MNO.
Other Considerations:
● Space is limited, so interested participants are encouraged to register and complete the application as soon as possible. In order to support as many participants as possible, only one application per household will be accepted. When applying, please identify whether applying as an individual, or as a household
Interested citizens can apply at:
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 EST October 3rd, 2022. For assistance, please contact Desiree Lalonde Metis Language Coordinator at desireel@metisnation.org or (705)-665-4189. Limited Kits available.