WINNIPEG, MAN. – The federal government announced $3.4 million to help fund the construction of a Métis National Heritage Centre in Winnipeg. The centre will highlight the history of the Métis Nation, noting the heritage and contributions of the Métis People to the development of Canada. It is the first centre of its kind of the country.
“I am so pleased this heritage centre will be in the Birthplace of the Metis Nation and the Heart of the Métis Nation Homeland,” said Manitoba Metis Federation President, David Chartrand, in a press release. “This is our home. This is our land. As Partners in Confederation, and as neighbours and friends, I look forward to the day when I can welcome visitors from Manitoba, and indeed from around the world, to this centre of excellence, where they can truly understand the contributions of the Metis People to this province and to all of Canada.”
The funding will come from Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
“The Government of Canada is pleased to invest in the construction of a Métis National Heritage Centre, which will foster reconciliation between Canada and the Métis Nation,” said Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, in a media release. “We are proud to work with the Métis Nation to ensure their rightful place in Canadian history.”
The centre’s goal will be to offer Metis an opportunity to tell their stories. It will also give residents a place to learn the heritage, language, culture, methods of governance, and contributions of the Métis Nation before, during, and after Confederation.
“This initiative represents this federal government’s continued commitment to work in partnership with the Métis People, to advance reconciliation and self-determination,” added Chartrand. “By teaching our history to other Canadians, we are able to re-affirm our place in Confederation and the rights that come with it.”
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