The Métis community in Prince Rupert is thriving with the recent re-opening of the Métis Nation society office on Fraser Street.
Joy Sundin, president of the Prince Rupert and District Métis Society, welcomed visitors to the open house on Sunday, March 18, by offering them a woven pink, white and black sash to pin over their heart. The sash is part of the Sashing Our Warriors campaign aimed to stop violence against Métis women and girls.
There are 350 people who identify as Métis in Prince Rupert, according to the 2016 Census, but Sundin said there are approximately 140 Métis with citizenship and she estimates there are well over 500 in the area. The society office is affiliated with the Canadian-wide Métis Nation, and offers citizenship for those who don’t have it yet.
“What you do for your citizenship, you need to get your genealogy from your six generations previous, which shows that your ancestors come from the Red River Settlement in the Manitoba area,” Sundin said.
Her own heritage can be traced back to Peter Fidler, one of the original Hudson Bay Company surveyors who came to the west.
In November 2016, the B.C. government signed a new accord with Métis Nation B.C. to set objectives to address housing, education, health, economic opportunities and Métis identification. The province’s commitment to the Métis people came following the landmark Daniels decision. On April 14, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Métis and “non-status Indians” should have the same rights as “status Indians” in the Constitution.
After the ruling, Trevor Murdock, one of the society’s board members, said this was a great stepping stone in building the foundation to move forward, and he hoped to grow Métis membership in Prince Rupert.
READ MORE: Ruling gives Métis community hope for rights
“The Métis Nation is growing and prospering unbelievably really fast,” Sundin said on Sunday.
“The funds are starting to flow and come through to us now so we can start to bring the masses together and start to understand and appreciate our heritage and our culture,” Sundin said.
READ MORE: Louis Riel Day marks Métis status in B.C.
The office on 3-716 Fraser Street doesn’t have regular office hours yet, but the society expects to have a full-time summer student who will be available to help people get their citizenship, harvest cards for harvesting and find out what funds are available for Métis people for schooling and trades.
“There’s just a multitude of programs available to Métis people right now,” she said.
The training programs are currently available through the Terrace office. Darcie Petuh and Rene Berschaminski came from Terrace to let people know about what services they offer, and to learn more about the Métis people in Prince Rupert.
“We’re very happy Prince Rupert is starting an office again it’s a great thing It’s good to have an outlet that people can reach out more,” Berschaminski said.
shannon.lough@thenorthernview.com
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