Grant: Women's Program

Through this 24-month project, Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak (LFMO) will uplift Metis youth into positions of leadership and advocacy both nationally and within their communities. Metis youth will have opportunities within LFMO to provide their unique perspectives on all policy files within the organization. To achieve this, LFMO will undertake several mixed method engagement approaches to ensure a wide-reaching and accessible outreach methodology. Building upon the data collected during LFMO's initial Metis-youth engagement project with WAGE, the project will focus on increasing opportunities for improved, ongoing connections across the Metis Nation Motherland among Metis youth and LFMO, for knowledge transfer between Metis youth and Metis Elders and for consistent Metis youth representation across all LFMO's Policy files, particularly in gender-based violence, environment and climate change. In addition, the project will scale geographically, by implementing and offering opportunities to Metis youth on a national scale. During the project, ongoing project evaluation will occur, and at the end of the project a report will be developed with findings and other recommendations for Federal partners. As a result of this project, Metis youth will have greater involvement within LFMO enabling them to provide input into Metis priorities and policy development around topics of concern for Metis youth. This project will create a structured plan for exchanges and next steps and will emphasize the importance of culturally and traditionally relevant Metis teachings for youth.