The vice-president of the Manitoba Metis Federation Portage Local says he's feeling re-energized, following the federation's annual general assembly early last week.
Landeyn Aymont notes the annual meeting allows members of different chapters around the province to come together and celebrate past successes, discuss the year's challenges, and plan for the future.
He says there was no shortage of success to celebrate during those meetings, ranging from land claim settlements to the decision on the Daniels case by the Supreme Court of Canada, which provides formal federal recognition of the Metis people. He says the future's also looking bright and hopes to see the federation's numbers grow along with their list of successes.
"There's a lot of positive things happening within the Metis Federation, and it looks like another positive year coming our way. I strongly encourage any Metis people to get involved with the federation. Anyone who's currently a Metis citizen, I recommend they get more active."
He says it's always great to speak with some of those involved with the federation, noting they often don't see each other between the annual meetings. While sharing information and best practices among federation members is one aspect, Aymont says he was also encouraged by the number of non-members taking in the annual assembly's opening ceremonies.
"There were a lot of politicians there from all different parties, federal liberals, provincial conservatives, members of the city of Winnipeg here there. I spoke with (MP for St. Boniface/St. Vital) Dan Vandal. We heard each of them greet us at the opening ceremonies, and there were members of the RCMP there."
Aymont says he always leaves these meetings feeling invigorated, noting networking and communication can play a vital role in the federation's work. However, he also notes taking the time to hear from the Manitoba Metis Federation's leadership can also create a renewed sense of passion for the group's work.
"(President) David Chartrand is one of my heroes. He's one of the best leaders of any group, political or not. When he speaks, he's very passionate about what he's speaking about. I definitely feel really energized when I come back from these. You gain a lot more knowledge going to these things."
Aymont says all Metis people should get involved with the federation in some way, noting it's a positive experience. While he admits it would be difficult for Portage to host the annual general assembly, Aymont says he's working to see if the southwest regional meetings could one day be held here in the city.
Fri, Apr 19, 2:00 PM
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