Culture & Events

Events

• Unveiling Our New Monument

  

  Unveiling Our New Monument

  On September 27th, we gathered for a deeply moving and profound event—the unveiling of our Truth and Reconciliation Monument, 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙝𝙩𝙚 𝙉𝙞𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙝𝙠 – 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚. 🧡 This monument, located in the Town of Slave Lake and Government Centre’s courtyard, stands to honor the survivors and victims of the Indian Residential Schools in the Lesser Slave Lake Territory.

  This powerful symbol represents our community’s journey towards truth, healing, and reconciliation. The day was filled with emotions as we reflected on the lasting impacts of residential schools while coming together to honor the survivors and the children who never made it home.

  This monument serves as a place of remembrance, resilience, and unity—a step forward in recognizing our shared history and the need for continued reconciliation.

  Thank you to everyone who supported and contributed to making this monument possible, including our Executive Director Brenda Genaille, our Métis Wellness Coordinator Barbara Emmrich, our Consultation Coordinator Walter Andreef, the Government of Canada, the Town of Slave Lake, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL), West Fraser, and an anonymous donor. 

  We also extend our gratitude and recognition to the artist Louis Lavoie for the breathtaking painting featured on the monument that was based on the vision of Lorna Dancey. A heartfelt thank you goes out to a residential school survivor and our Elder Pearl Sandor for sharing experiences with us. We also extend our gratitude to the team at Truly Creative Marketing for the beautiful design elements on the monument including the beaded artwork, sweetgrass healing emblem, our logo, the layout of the monument, and our orange t-shirts. A grateful thank you goes out to Chastin Martel for the photographs of the event 💙

  Our hope is that this monument will stand as a beacon of hope and healing for our community. 💙♾️

• Mini Monsters Halloween

  

  Mini Monsters Halloween

  🎃👻 Get Ready for Mini Monsters’ Halloween! 👻🎃 Métis District 21 is thrilled to join Community Futures’ Mini Monsters’ Halloween event this year! On October 31st, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, we’ll be handing out candy to all the little ghouls and goblins. 🍬🕸️

  Look for the pumpkin posters around town in the local organizations and businesses and stop by our office for some sweet treats! 🍭 We’re so excited to see all the creative costumes and smiling faces! 😄👑🧛‍♀️ This event is to make a safe trick-or-treating experience for young ones, especially those not in school or daycare yet. Mark your calendars and don’t forget your best costume! See you on Halloween! 🎃💀

  𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Thursday, October 31, 2024

  𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

  𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘: District 21 Office

• Christmas Dinner Registration

  

  Christmas Dinner Registration

  Saturday, December 14, 2024

  You’re invited to a delicious community 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗠𝗔𝗦 𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 on Saturday, December 14, 2024 🍽️ထ💙

  A scrumptious feast for our bellies, an evening to come together as a community, and the big man in red will be there! Santa will even have a gift for your little ones that day! To attend the event you must pre-register your family. A turkey or ham voucher will be gifted one per household. Children can receive a gift from Santa at the dinner and must be pre-registered to be approved. Applicants MUST be District 21 Citizens with a valid MNA Card Number.

  👇👇 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 👇👇

  𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗: Download the registration form from the button below, or request a copy by emailing region5@metis.org

  𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: All participants 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙏 have their registration forms submitted by 4:00 pm on November 20, 2024. 𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 will be accepted** The completed registrations can be dropped off in person, or emailed to region5@metis.org ✉️ 💙ထ💙

  🎅🎁 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 🎁🧑‍🎄

  📅 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Sunday, December 14, 2024

  🕓 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘: 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

  🏠 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘: Slave Lake Inn and Conference Centre, upstairs banquet room

  🍽️ 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗗 and will be served only in one sitting at 5:00 pm

  Registration Form
• Great Time at the Annual Citizen’s Gathering 2024

  

  

  Great Time at the Annual Citizen’s Gathering 2024

  We were thrilled to be part of the historic Inaugural Citizen’s Gathering hosted by the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of Alberta! 🎉 It was an honor to connect with our fellow Métis Alberta and District 21 citizens, share our stories, and celebrate our rich culture together.♾️

  At our District 21 trade show table, we proudly gave away free Otipemisiwak t-shirts, showcased our new branded sweatpants for sale, and proudly sold our brand new children’s book, The Bear’s Gift. It was a joy to meet so many of you and share in the excitement of our growing nation!💙♾️

  This year marked the 96th consecutive year of gathering, and it was truly a celebration to remember. From important announcements about our self-government, and new department initiatives to the vibrant artist market, amazing Métis Jiggers, delicious meals, and activities for all ages, the event was a testament to our community’s strength and unity. 💙

  “With over 700 Métis of Alberta Citizens in attendance, the Inaugural Citizen’s Gathering was an incredible success!” said Andrea Sandmaier. We couldn’t agree more—thank you to everyone who made this gathering so special. We’re already looking forward to next year! ✨

• Proud of Walter For Being Honored

  

  Proud of Walter For Being Honored

  Thursday, August 22, 2024

  We are beyond proud of our very own Walter Andreeff, Consultation Coordinator for Métis District 21!  During the Inaugural Citizens’ Gathering, Walter was honored with a special gift of recognition from Otipemisiwak Métis Government President Andrea Sandmaier for his incredible contribution and hard work on the Self-Government Transition Committee. Thank you, Walter, for your dedication and commitment to our community. Your efforts are truly making a difference as we move forward in our journey of self-governance.

• United Way Award

  

  United Way Award

  Thursday, August 22, 2024

  We were proud to present the award for Generosity and Support of our Métis District 21 Citizens to United Way Alberta Northwest 💙

  The lovely Barbara Emmrich, our Métis Wellness Program Coordinator presented the award

  to Ken Loudon, Executive Director who accepted it on behalf of United Way Alberta Northwest 🏆

• Get Your Own District 21 Merch

  

  Get Your Own District 21 Merchandise

  The Slave Lake Local #19 ♾️Come visit our Métis District 21 office during regular business hours to 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁.”💙

  ♾️ Our wonderful models Walter and Brenda are displaying our new District 21 Sweatpants.

  🐻📖 Our new Children’s Book based on a true story, “The Bear’s Gift.” Written and illustrated by the talented Angie, this enchanting story is perfect for young readers.💙 The books are $20 each.

  The Sweatpants are in limited quantity and in person on a first come first serve basis. The sweatpants are $35 to $40 based on size.

  *Please note, that we can only accept cash payments at this time.

• Success Stories Form

  

  𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟭 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀!

  Do you know someone in our community who has a success story worth sharing? We want to hear about it! Whether it’s a personal achievement, a career milestone, or a positive impact on our community, we want to celebrate the successes of our Métis citizens.

  𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠é𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄.

  Share their inspiring journey with us!

  Success Story Form

  𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 that not all stories or features submitted will be shared. Our team at District 21 carefully selects content based on relevance, authenticity, and appropriateness. We strive to maintain a respectful and inclusive environment for everyone in our community. Thank you for understanding.

  Go to Facebook Post
• Community Garden Volunteers

  

  Call for Community Garden Volunteers

  After the amazing success of our Métis Community Garden last year, we are thrilled to announce that it is now prime garden season! We are looking for volunteers to help us at the Community Garden!

  Last year, thanks to incredible volunteer support, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝟵𝟲 𝗠é𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆. 🥦🍅We’re now looking for volunteers to join us in this rewarding endeavor.

  Every hour of volunteer time makes a difference! Whether you have a green thumb or simply a passion for community involvement, we welcome you to be part of this wonderful initiative. If you’re interested in volunteering or would like more information, please email us at region5@metis.org. Let’s grow together and make a positive impact in our community! 🌻

• Louis Riel Day

  

  Louis Riel Day

  For one week every November, we join Métis across the nation in sharing and celebrating Louis Riel Day is held every year on November 16 across the Métis homelands. November 16 is the anniversary of Riel’s execution in 1885. During that year, Riel led Métis people in the Northwest Resistance, which was a stand against the Government of Canada because it was encroaching on Metis rights and our way-of-life. The Métis were defeated at the siege of Batoche and the Canadian government captured Riel. He was eventually put on trial where he was convicted of treason and executed. As a result, Métis people across Canada were labeled as traitors and for generations many felt the need to hide their Métis culture and heritage. Despite this oppression, many Métis people found a way to preserve their way-of-life and passed it on to current generations. Today, the strength of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is a testament to the courage of our ancestors.

  Download 2021 Poster
• November Métis Week

  

  November Métis Week

  For one week every November, we join Métis across the nation in sharing and celebrating our culture. We work with the Town of Slave Lake to raise our flag for the month of November, host activities including an annual Open House with a Stew & Bannock luncheon, host a free Family Dinner in partnership with the Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre, and invite guests such as the Edmonton Métis Dancers.

  During this week, our active Elders enjoy the Annual Métis Youth & Seniors Gatherings both locally and in Ottawa. In 2020, our Nation Elder Herb Anderson contributed to the second Tri-Council meeting in Ottawa.

• June 21 Métis Day Celebrations

  

  June 21 Métis Day Celebrations

  Every June 21, we celebrate Métis Day during National Indigenous Peoples Day. This event includes traditional games, prizes, and fun for all ages.