Welcome to
Lesser Slave Lake
Métis District
Message from the Interim District Council
We’re pleased to welcome you to the new Lesser Slave Lake Métis District website. This is a place where you can access information, learn more about our supports and services, and share in our pride as Métis people.
On the About page, you’ll find the names and email addresses of our District team. We are all here for you. Please contact us if you need information, have questions, or want to share something with us.
Our people are our greatest strength—and that includes you. Thank you for visiting our website!
Latest News & Events
- Unveiling Our New Monument
Unveiling Our New Monument (September 2024)
On September 27th, 2024 we gathered for a deeply moving and profound event—the unveiling of our Truth and Reconciliation Monument, 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙝𝙩𝙚 𝙉𝙞𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙝𝙠 – 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚. 🧡 This monument, located in the Town of Slave Lake and Government Centre’s courtyard, stands to honor the survivors and victims of the Indian Residential Schools in the Lesser Slave Lake Territory.
This powerful symbol represents our community’s journey towards truth, healing, and reconciliation. The day was filled with emotions as we reflected on the lasting impacts of residential schools while coming together to honor the survivors and the children who never made it home.
This monument serves as a place of remembrance, resilience, and unity—a step forward in recognizing our shared history and the need for continued reconciliation.
Thank you to everyone who supported and contributed to making this monument possible, including our Senior Transition Coordinator Brenda Genaille, our Métis Wellness Coordinator Barbara Emmrich, our Consultation Coordinator Walter Andreeff, the Government of Canada, the Town of Slave Lake, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL), West Fraser, and an anonymous donor.
We also extend our gratitude and recognition to the artist Louis Lavoie for the breathtaking painting featured on the monument that was based on the vision of Lorna Dancey. A heartfelt thank you goes out to a residential school survivor and our Elder Pearl Sandor for sharing experiences with us. We also extend our gratitude to the team at Truly Creative Marketing for the beautiful design elements on the monument including the beaded artwork, sweetgrass healing emblem, our logo, the layout of the monument, and our orange t-shirts. A grateful thank you goes out to Chastin Martel for the photographs of the event 💙
Our hope is that this monument will stand as a beacon of hope and healing for our community. 💙♾️
- Get Your Own District 21 Merch
Get Your Own District 21 Merchandise
The Slave Lake Local #19 ♾️Come visit our Métis District 21 office during regular business hours to 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁.”💙
♾️ Our wonderful models Walter and Brenda are displaying our new District 21 Sweatpants.
🐻📖 Our new Children’s Book based on a true story, “The Bear’s Gift.” Written and illustrated by the talented Angie, this enchanting story is perfect for young readers.💙 The books are $20 each.
The Sweatpants are in limited quantity and in person on a first come first serve basis. The sweatpants are $35 to $40 based on size.
*Please note, that we can only accept cash payments at this time.
- Success Stories Form
𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟭 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀!
Do you know someone in our community who has a success story worth sharing? We want to hear about it! Whether it’s a personal achievement, a career milestone, or a positive impact on our community, we want to celebrate the successes of our Métis citizens.
𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠é𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄.
Share their inspiring journey with us!
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 that not all stories or features submitted will be shared. Our team at District 21 carefully selects content based on relevance, authenticity, and appropriateness. We strive to maintain a respectful and inclusive environment for everyone in our community. Thank you for understanding.
- Louis Riel Day
Louis Riel Day
For one week every November, we join Métis across the nation in sharing and celebrating Louis Riel Day is held every year on November 16 across the Métis homelands. November 16 is the anniversary of Riel’s execution in 1885. During that year, Riel led Métis people in the Northwest Resistance, which was a stand against the Government of Canada because it was encroaching on Metis rights and our way-of-life. The Métis were defeated at the siege of Batoche and the Canadian government captured Riel. He was eventually put on trial where he was convicted of treason and executed. As a result, Métis people across Canada were labeled as traitors and for generations many felt the need to hide their Métis culture and heritage. Despite this oppression, many Métis people found a way to preserve their way-of-life and passed it on to current generations. Today, the strength of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is a testament to the courage of our ancestors.
Walk With Us
Common Forms
If you are looking for any useful forms, links or resources, check out our most frequently requested documents on our Programs page.
News & Events
Our Culture
We offer many ways to celebrate our unique Métis culture. Our Culture page offers information on annual events, Métis traditions and even recipes.
Newsletters
Stay up to date with recent releases of the Lesser Slave Lake Métis District Newsletter.