Surrey/Fraser Valley/Victoria – Métis post-secondary students are benefiting from new education and training opportunitiesas a result ofan investment through the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan.
Métis Nation British Columbia is exploring a new Métis post-secondary institution model andstrengthening the Michif language to meet the needs of Métis learners through a new $1.65-million investment over the next three years.
“In our pursuit of lasting and meaningful reconciliation, the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan stands as a resolute commitment to address systemic barriers and empower Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia,” said Paulette Flamond, Minister of Skills Training, Employment, Post-Secondary, Métis Nation British Columbia. “Together, we forge a path toward a future where every individual can thrive, their aspirations honoured and their dreams realized.”
An additional $145,000 is being invested in a Métis scholarship to expand financial support to Métis post-secondary students. Established in 2022, the scholarship program removes financial barriers to strengthen Métis learners’ access to post-secondary education and skills training.
FYI:
- Michif is the national Métis language, developed in the Red River Valley, in what is now Manitoba,in the early 1800s.
- Today, Michif has only about 1,000 fluent speakers,mostly in Western Canada.
- The Province and Métis Nation BC (MNBC) have co-developed a culture, language and heritage sub-table within the framework of the BC-Métis relations working table process that integrates engagement with Métis Nation BC on shared priorities across government.
- A priority of the culture, language and heritage sub-table is to advance support of the MNBC mandate to protect the critically endangered Michif language.
- Through the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, the Province is investing $101 million into several initiatives addressing barriers in education and training.
Learn More:
To learn more about Métis Nation British Columbia, visit: https://www.mnbc.ca/
