April 12, 2022 (Surrey, BC) – Métis Nation British Columbia is excited to announce it has been awarded a grant to develop a #MétisinBC Exhibition. This will be one of the first exhibitions developed and shared as part of the Amelia Douglas Institute for Métis Culture and Language. We gratefully acknowledge Heritage BC and the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the 150 Time Immemorial Grant Program.
The grant will support the research, engagement, development, and launch of a Métis in BC cultural exhibition that will be accessible to all members of the public at the MNBC head office in Surrey, as well as various regions and community centres across BC at different times of the year. In addition to offering exhibition showings in different communities across the province, MNBC will also digitize the exhibition and create an interactive online version to make it even more accessible to Métis citizens and the broader public.
“I am excited about the next phase in the offerings that our new made-in-BC culture and language institute will be able to provide, “says Patrick Harriott, MNBC Minister of Culture, Heritage and Language. “In creating a central resource for our communities to access, or organizations and educational institutions wanting to learn more about Métis culture and language, we are bridging the gaps in the availability of Métis resources in BC.”
The project builds on MNBC’s #MétisinBC campaign, which was launched at the Virtual Métis Culture and Language Festival, held last November, and promoted again in conjunction with the opening of a Métis exhibition at the Fort Langley National Historic Site.
The Métis in BC exhibition will tell the often forgotten and untold stories of the Métis communities that continue to shape BC’s history. The project will educate the public about the history of the Métis in BC and provide an opportunity for Métis community members to celebrate and share their heritage through a travelling exhibition. MNBC will work with historians, Elders, Knowledge Carriers, artists, and Métis Chartered Communities to develop the exhibition, which will feature historical and contemporary stories from Métis people and communities across BC.
In December, 2021, MNBC announced the naming of the Amelia Douglas Institute for Métis Culture and Language. The Amelia Douglas Institute’s website is expected to launch in the fall of 2022.
If you are interested in contributing to the Métis in BC Exhibition or would like to know more about it, please contact the Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Language at chl@mnbc.ca.