EDUCATION
Shannon Olynyk
Cultural Education Coordinator for Chilliwack SD#33/IEC Representative in Chilliwack
Cultural Education Coordinator for Fraser Cascade SD#78/IEC Representative in Agassiz
Email: cmadirectorcf@gmail.com
Joe Smith-Cultural Educator
Contact Shannon Olynyk
Joe Smith is a member of the Chilliwack Metis Association. He grew up in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan where he learned about, and lived, his Metis culture and traditions. He is passionate about passing his experiences and knowledge about his Metis heritage along to others and would love to go into classrooms to share it with the students.
Classroom Presentations
History of the Metis in Fort Langley
Metis Heritage
Hunting, Trapping and Berry Picking
Our Metis Beliefs
Metis History, Beliefs and Culture
Don Ross-Cultural Educator
Contact Shannon Olynyk
Don Ross is a member of the Chilliwack Metis Association. He grew up in New Brunswick and is very proud of his Metis heritage. He enjoys sharing his experience and knowledge about his Metis heritage along to others and would love to go into classrooms to share it with the students.
Classroom Presentations
Storytelling
Hudson Bay Blankets
Capote
Carving and Woodworking
Beading with his wife Rosemary Ross, who is also Metis
Rose Ross-Cultural Arts Educator
Contact Shannon Olynyk
Chilliwack Niimiyitoohk
(dancing together)
The Chilliwack Niimiyitoohk logo represents the force of the matriarchs in bringing culture including dance back to our communities. The sweet grass, the hair of out mother earth surrounding her watchful eye in the work we accomplish together. The Infinity symbol for our Métis ancestors who came to be through the union of cultures, creating our unique way of being.
Chilliwack Niimiyitoohk (dancing together) is a grass root community led, jigging group. Made up of community members looking to bring Métis culture and connection back to its people, including those who have come to call the unceded Sto:lo territory home.
Artist Bio
Holly Tennant( ht@hollytennant.com) is a mixed-media artist who recently returned to settle in her birthplace of Chilliwack after living in Prince George, Montreal, New York and Seattle.
Artistically, Holly has two main projects ongoing. The first is a graphic novel based on HBC archives of early 20th-century life around the Saskatchewan River Valley, Treaty 6 territory. Holly’s second ongoing creative project is the jigging troupe, Chilliwack Niimiyitoohk, which means “dancing together”.
Holly’s knowledge of Metis dance began with stories of the dance parties in the 1950s and 1960s in her maternal family Metis home. Later, Holly studied under Lisa Shepherd, Bev Lambert, Yvonne Chartrand and Maddie McCallum. Holly performed with V’ni Dansi in 2009-2010.
Shannon Olynyk (cmadirectorcf@gmail.com), White Shawl Woman, is Metis, French, and Ukrainian, from Winnipeg Mb. In addition to her roles as Director of Children and Families and Cultural Education Coordinator for her charted community , Shannon is passionate about culture and community together through the arts. Her jigging instruction comes from Madelaine McCallum.
CMA YOUTH
Welcome to the CMA Youth Section.
Check out the important information and links below.
MNBC Youth
Check it out and please make sure you share it with your youth!
https://www.mnbc.ca/youth
We suggest you sign up for their newsletter below to stay up to date with what is happening in he ministry of youth .
https://mailchi.mp/mnbc/youthnewsletter
Bursaries , Scholarships and Education Links
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development:
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100033601/1521124611239
Indspire:
https://indspire.ca/programs/building-brighter-futures/apply-for-a-bursary-or-scholarship/
Metis Nation BC Employment & Training:
http://www.mnbc.ca/ministries/employment-training-introduction
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres:
Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation:
http://www.gov.bc.ca/arr/social/youth.html
Aboriginal Learning Links:
http://www.aboriginallearning.ca/
Scholarships Canada:
EARLY YEARS
Is your child age 0-8 years of age? Register below for the Métis Family Connections Program .
Bursaries & Scholarships Links
MICHIF LANGUAGE RESOURCES
The Michif Language Project~ Cowichan Valley Metis
An educational concept which began in the fall of 2012 has now turned into reality and with its launch an imaginative learning tool for young Michif learners. The Michif Language Learning Project began with the concept that the younger you are the easier it is to learn language. Repetition is required and access to Michif speakers can be problematic in many communities. It was this lack of early learning resource that prompted Marilyn Bean and Jan Ovans of the Cowichan Valley Métis Association, to apply for a Canadian Heritage grant, to develop an early childhood Michif immersion project. This website has multiple animated tutorial videos and games. http://www.michiflanguage.ca/index.html
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This website is the most comprehensive attempt to chronicle traditional Métis history and culture on the World Wide Web and contains a wealth of primary documents – oral history interviews, photographs and various archival documents – in visual, audio and video files. In addition, many of our proven resources such as Steps in Time and Gabriel Dumont: Métis Legend have also been added to this site. Finally, new material, suitable for general information and for educators, has also been commissioned for The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture. http://www.metismuseum.ca/index.php
Speaking Michif | Louis Riel Institute Archives
https://www.metismuseum.ca/michif_tools.php
Two-Spirit
In many of our cultures, before the arrival of Europeans to North America, “Two-Spirit” referred to the ancient teachings. Our Elders tell us of people who were gifted among all beings because they carried two spirits: that of male and female. These individuals were looked upon as a third gender in many cases and in almost all cultures they were honoured and revered. Two-Spirit people were often the visionaries, the healers and medicine people. They were respected as fundamental components of our ancient culture and societies. This is our guiding force as well as our source of strength. This is the ancient heart of Two-Spirit People. To gain more knowledge on this refer to these links
http://www.rainbowresourcecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/TwoSpirit.pdf
http://www.naho.ca/documents/fnc/english/2012_04_%20Guidebook_Suicide_Prevention.pdf
