ACTIVITIES & PROGRAMS
Workshops at the Centre: Metis Genealogy, Michif Language, jigging, beading, sash weaving, wall pockets, dream catchers, moccasins and Metis history. Old-time Metis fiddle workshops with Tommy Knott's guidance and expertise as well as Michif Language sessions with Rita Flamand.
"Buffalo Trails and Tales" Newsletter: is published quarterly to subscribers. 800 copies are left at key locations throughout Winnipeg. The newsletter goes out throughout Manitoba, the rest of Canada / U.S.A./England/Japan/New Zealand. The focus is on upcoming events, cultural and historical interests including Metis biographies, and community happenings and news from M.R.C.
Cross Cultural Workshops, Lectures and Displays: School, colleges, banks, conferences, Folklorama, Pan Am Games, NAIG, shopping malls, youth centres, Stony Mountain Penitentiary and community events. MRC also enjoyed working with the Western Canada Pictorial Index on a joint community exhibit titled "Otipemisiwak" the "Free People"
School Programme: MRC visits schools throughout the city conducting lectures and workshops in consultation with teachers. We have contacted over 20,000 students in the past eight years.
Research Facility, Metis-Specific Library, Consulting Services: We have over 1900 Metis-specific articles/ books acquired by donations, loans or purchases, approx 70 video tapes of Metis Cultural & Historical vignettes, 100+ cassettes of Manitoba Metis Oral History Project and a collection of 25 oral history on Metis identity 45 cassettes of traditional old time Metis fiddle music. A start on Fiche reels from HBC Archives is also available to researchers. We often have 2-3 researchers at a time using the library and/or consulting with our cultural consultant and genealogist. Our library is non-lending.
Support Services: We handle numerous requests by telephone, e-mail or drop-ins (average of 150 contacts per week) for information. We have also lent our support to issues such as the preservation of McGowan House and the Metis Cemetery near Pembina, North Dakota.
Internet Site: The Metis Resource Centre has made a large amount of information easily accessible on the Internet, including Biographies, History, and Michif Cree Language sessions, with streaming audio. The MRC also uses their site to keep visitors informed of upcoming Metis specific events, and workshops. The Centre was awarded the Cool Canuck Site Award in the winter of 2000 for Canadian family content. Dec. 02 MRC updated the site and we have had approx. 1500 visits per month, MRC has been on line since 1997.
Metis Genealogy: Claiming Ourselves project is a fee for service, Metis genealogy project continually update its data base on the Metis families who descended from the people who established themselves in the Red, Assiniboine and Saskatchewan River Valleys during the 19th century. The Claiming Ourselves project is establishing a large collection of Oral History and Biographies. Nellie Larocque our genealogist researcher prepares Metis family trees for Metis people by a Metis organization.
Referral Services: On average we refer 50 people a week to the Winnipeg Region of Manitoba Metis Federation (membership), the Winnipeg Local Management Board (education & training), as well as to the Indian Metis Friendship Centre, Ma Mawi and other institutions such as the MB Prov. Archives, HBC Archives and Mb. Genealogy Society.
Networking Committees: The Metis Resource Centre is represented on the following boards and committees: S.T.O.P. (Solutions to Overcome Poverty), consulting with the Metis Pavilion-Folklorama Committee We are a member of the St. Boniface Historical Society, The Manitoba Historical Society and the Council of Woman of Winnipeg.
Metis Traders: is a project of the Metis Resource Centre specializing in Metis specific goods, Metis Traders carries a variety of culturally appropriate items ranging from jewelry, prints, and household accents to Metis clothing, sashes and flags.
