CULTURE AND LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION
Embracing Youth at the Niagara Region Métis Council’s Family Camp

The Niagara Region Métis Council is led by volunteers who are elected citizens of the Métis Nation of Ontario.
Every year, the Council organizes an overnight Family Camp where Métis families gather to immerse themselves in Métis traditions, Michif language, land-based living skills, and cultural practices.
The camp plays an important role in helping preserve and revitalize Métis culture among families in the region. However, as children reach adolescence, maintaining their engagement with Métis cultural education becomes challenging without age-appropriate activities.
Thanks to a grant from the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF), the Council is able to expand its Family Camp programming and provide meaningful experiences that foster a sense of belonging and connection to Métis identity to youth aged 13-17. Activities include tree planting, Métis bead working and crafting leather harvest bags, Michif language learning sessions, Métis cultural education workshops and dialogue with Elders and spiritual leaders. Traditional meals help ensure that participants have a holistic and enriching experience.
By offering programming for older youth, the Council is hoping to support a stronger sense of Métis identity and belonging among participants. Youth are empowered to embrace and celebrate their cultural heritage, fostering pride in their Métis identity at a time in their lives when a strong sense of self is critically important.
Diocese of St. Catharines
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