Métis Way of Life
The land, hunting, fishing, and trapping are important to many Métis peoples’ way of life throughout history, and remains important to Métis culture and identity today.
Its first iteration was considered a pilot project for 50 Métis households. The initial application process was such a success that further funding was added to double the capacity to a total of 100 applicants for 2021. Households were provided with a $200 grant to purchase gardening supplies as well as seeds of 12 different vegetables and flowers.
Given the success of the pilot project, a Home Garden Project was also offered to Métis citizens in 2022 with a further expansion in size to 150 Métis households and a total of 14 different vegetable and flower seeds. In 2022, participants were also provided with a $200 grant to purchase gardening supplies. In addition to the seeds and grant, MNBC’s Gardening Manual and a newsletter were created to support participants in their gardening journey.
For 2023, the project was originally expanded to help 200 families for the seeds and gardening grant. With well over 400 applications received, 100 additional spots were added to help a greater number of households. This year we also want to support pollinators in the garden and are launching a pilot project for 50 households to add mason bees to their garden. The kits will include a mason bee cottage, 12 mason bee cocoons and nesting clay.
Our Goals
To continue providing some level of food security for Métis households in the face of climate change and other emergent crisis, helping participants access nutritious food, and giving them a chance to connect or re-connect with nature.