Métis Nation of Alberta Hosts Connecting Through Culture Family Retreat

Smoky Lake, Alberta – Over the past two weekends, the Métis Nation of Alberta's (MNA) Children and Family Services Department hosted 30 families at Métis for the annual Connecting Through Culture Retreat, with this year's focus being on connecting to the outdoors and becoming a Métis winterer/hivernant.

Activities included hide tanning, dog sledding, and traditional skills workshops. Families also familiarized themselves with wildlife at the Visons, Hopes, and Dreams Métis Crossing Wildlife Tour, including wood bison, a heritage species that was returned to the traditional land at Métis Crossing last year.

"This retreat is always a highlight for our Citizens, with Métis of all ages attending," Children and Family Services Director Kelsey Bradburn. "These culturally-rich weekends are memorable for generations to come and highlight the Métis Nation of Alberta's dedication to cultural preservation and revitalization."

The Children and Family Services Department is committed to building strong Métis families through programs and services that facilitate connections to community and culture.

With the MNA's ratification of its Otipemisiwak Métis Government Constitution in November last year-a major step forward on the path to self-government-departments like Children and Family Services will be able to provide even more services like this moving forward.

"The passage of the MNA Constitution, with more than 96% of the vote, represented an essential step for the Métis Nation within Alberta to becoming a fully recognized order of government within Canada," said MNA President, Audrey Poitras. "This means our ability to provide vital cultural programming for our communities is going to be strengthened and expanded. We're so excited to see what the future holds."

Photos courtesy of Hannah Jones Media.