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“Wrap Yourself In History” – Capote Making Workshop

Would you like to make your very own traditional Hudson’s Bay point blanket capote?

The Louis Riel Institute can organize a workshop in your community to take part in a historical presentation and hands on instruction to create and customize your own capote.

The classes are facilitated by Suzan Lagrove. Suzan incorporates her passion for history, heritage and sewing. As the former Regional Manager of Hudson’s Bay Heritage, she has helped individuals enjoy creating coats, ponchos, mittens and Christmas stockings designed from the legendary Hudson’s Bay point blanket. She was honoured with the YWCA Woman of Distinction nomination for Arts, Culture & Heritage in 2006. She loves to share history and sewing as you “Wrap Yourself in History”.

Students can request blanket colours from a variety of options. Please call to enquire about workshop costs as they may vary according to your community’s location.

Space per workshop is limited to 15 participants and takes one full day.

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History in the Classroom

A representative from the Louis Riel Institute will come to your school or organization and deliver a presentation on Métis culture.  Subjects discussed can be customized to suit your needs, or choose from the presentations we have available:

-Métis History Timeline

-Louis Riel

-Buffalo Hunt

-Battle of Batoche

-Confederation 1869-70

-Métis Music

-Métis Clothing

-Métis Food

-Contemporary Métis Communities

-Contemporary Métis Politics

History in the Classroom Workshop for Educators

The Louis Riel Institute will create a workshop to suit your group.  You will explore the Métis Educational Resources Kit and all of the information within.

Our representative will share the lessons created around the Illustrated Métis History Series and work with the group on creating new lessons and ideas.

For more information and pricing details, please contact the Louis Riel Institute. lri@mmf.mb.ca

Métis Educational Resource Kit – $495 (see Resources tab for more details of kit contents)

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Little Métis Summer Learning Circles were developed to teach children about Métis culture through fun-filled activities in the summer months.

Our Travelling Crew visits sites throughout Winnipeg to create an interest in literacy and Métis culture through the use of games and activities.  They hold events at CSI summer programs, City of Winnipeg youth drop-ins, daycares, community events and festivals throughout July and August.  Community organizations wishing to book the Travelling Crew to come out to their site should call in May of each year.

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Little Métis Family Fun Events foster and encourage families to learn and play together.

• The Louis Riel Institute will run a daytime or evening event for your school consisting of 8-10 cultural and educational centres.
• We will provide the activities, supplies and handouts for each centre (see the list of centres and options below).
• We also provide a take home bag with freebies including a Métis children’s history book published by LRI.
• We run a book draw at each event with 15 prizes of new books.
• One of the centres is the Dress Up and Photo Booth where families can have their photo taken dressed in traditional Métis clothing.  We ask that the school provide the digital camera for this centre.
• We bring staff and volunteers with us for setting up and helping with centres.  We ask that the school also provide 6-10 volunteers (teens do well and we will have an orientation for the volunteers a half hour before start time).
• The school needs to have 20 tables and 40 chairs available for setting up in the gym.
• Programs usually run for two hours depending if there is entertainment and food as well.
• Cost = $750

Regular Centres:

1. Giant Métis Word Find (French and English)
2. Métis Picture Sudoku
3. Métis Jeopardy and Junior Métis Jeopardy – trivia for all ages
4. Manitoba Map Maze- this game will test your memory on patterns
5. Rest Centre – flag making, colouring and crafts
6. Toddler Centre – touch and feel items for little hands
7. Family Tree Centre – parents and children can each create their own family trees
8. Dress Up – Photo Booth – have your photo taken in traditional Métis clothing
9. Red River Construction Centre – plasticene and craft sticks – encourages imagination
10.   Métis Music Centre – learn to play the spoon to traditional fiddling music
11.   Used Book Exchange – bring your old books and trade them for some reading fun
12.   Family Bingo – based on pictures of traditional Michif foods
13.   Voyageur Relay Race
14.   Sash Weaving – make a bracelet to take home
15.   Michif Language Centre – make a mini book

Optional Activities:

These activities can be booked by LRI or your own organizing committee, but the costs are your responsibility if you wish to add them to the program.

• Entertainment:

Book a square dancing group, a jigger, or Métis musician to do a performance to end off the night.

A dancer can be added to the centres, giving families jigging lessons, or they can give a lesson to the entire group in a large circle at the end of the performance. Costs range from $100 for a solo dancer up to $500 for a dance group.

• Food:

Often, groups offer bison stew and bannock or a light lunch over the evening, as it is difficult for families to get the kids fed and back out to an event by 5:30 p.m.

Costs are usually in the range of $5/person

• Music Centre:

We have a musician who teaches harmonica at a centre for us.  The school’s responsibility is to buy one $5 harmonica per family  (20 families attending would = $100)

Cost is $200 for the musician and harmonicas

Little Métis Educational Game Making Workshop

Many of the games and activities we use in our programs could be used in your classrooms, family resource centres, youth programs, etc.

The Louis Riel Institute will come to you and share with you our interactive educational Métis games and activities.  You will finish the workshop with two games made and ready to use at your centre.  We provide the instruction and all the supplies required.  Fee is $1,000 per workshop (If your site wishes to provide the supplies, the cost will be reduced).

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Our Little Métis Sing With Me program is a parent-child program with three strands:

• Family literacy
• Essential skills
• Métis culture and history

This is an exciting program with lots of wonderful resources for facilitators to share with parents and children: songs, rhymes, dance, Michif language, take home books, crafts and guests.

Little Métis Sing With Me Training Workshop

A three day workshop to train participants to run their own Little Métis Sing With Me programs.  All participants receive a facilitator’s manual and all resources.  Also included are a combination of dance, songs, rhymes, books and activities to enhance the training and provide ready made resources for the program.  Registration fee is $125 per person or $2,500 for your group (max 20 participants).  Please contact us for upcoming training dates and to find out how to apply for funding to set up this program in your community.

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Programs based on Métis culture are combined with learning in a fun environment for the whole family.  We offer presentations and training workshops as well as assistance in applying for funding to get your own programs started!

Current programming is offered throughout the year.  Please see our latest program details under our Community Programming menu.

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Louis Riel Institute Adult Learning Centre

The Louis Riel Institute Adult Learning Centre strives to offer an academic atmosphere where learners experience a sense of belonging in a supportive, self-directed and teacher mediated environment.

Join the growing number of learners who have achieved their educational goals through our centre. Adults are often reluctant to return to school after a lengthy absence. We believe that learning is a lifelong process. The learning centre staff will work with you to develop an educational plan that fits your life.

INTRODUCTION

Standing Tall was developed by the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) as a three-year pilot program to research the effects of community involvement in education. As a result of the preliminary findings of the pilot, there has been additional funding to continue the program and determine the next steps. In 2012, the Standing Tall program transferred to the Louis Riel Institute (LRI), uniting it with educational and cultural programming of the LRI.

HISTORIC BACKGROUND

The concept “Standing Tall” was based on an educational concept from New Zealand created by and for its indigenous people. It is an adaptation of the Maori program, “Tu Tangata,” literally translated means “standing tall”, which denoted the pride the Elders in the Maori community wanted for its younger people. Tu Tangata was initiated because the indigenous community could see its children were struggling in the public school system, with poor attendance, high suspensions and drop-out rates and an increase in gang involvement and drug and alcohol use.

GLOBAL PARALLELS

Statistics show Maori people have made gains in terms of educational attainment however, they continue to attain lower educational rates than non-Maori. Additionally, the drop-out rates for Maori are 6% higher than for non-Maori, (Statistics New Zealand). Canada and New Zealand may be on the other side of the world, but the statistics regarding Aboriginal people are quite similar. Aboriginal students are seen as “at risk” in the public education system. Although Métis students seem to fair better than First Nations students, they fall within this umbrella. As the political voice for the Métis in Manitoba, The Manitoba Metis Federation used knowledge gathered through the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry and the Royal Commission for Aboriginal Peoples to seek out international programming that would support the Métis people.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Over the next few years, the MMF would spend time researching the model in New Zealand, invite the founders of the program to Canada and begin to develop the Standing Tall model. There were several consultations held with numerous stakeholders in education as well as leaders in government. Manitoba’s Aboriginal and Northern Affairs and the Aboriginal Education Directorate financially supported initial planning.

OUR VISION

The MMF’s vision for Standing Tall is to create, build and support healthy Métis families. The primary goal of this innovative community-based program is to have a positive impact on the self-esteem of Métis students while increasing participation of the Métis community in the public school system. It should be noted that this program was initiated by the Métis, yet it supports all students, especially Aboriginal students.

THE PILOT

When researching sites for the pilot, it was important to choose schools that not only had high Aboriginal populations but also administrators who supported the concept. There was also a strong collaboration between the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) as it involved Métis people hired by the MMF to work in public schools within the WSD. The project was piloted in two inner city schools in Winnipeg – Niji Mahkwa and William Whyte. Through collaboration with the school administrators, it was decided that the focus would be in middle-years classrooms.

EMPLOYEES

The New Zealand prototype began with volunteers from the school community who were interested in helping students succeed. The program founders discovered that the success of the program required a commitment to employment, therefore, in our program, eight adults from the Aboriginal community continue to be employed, along with one Provincial Coordinator. The majority of funding provided through Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs and Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) is used to pay the salaries of program employees.

STUDENT SUPPORT

The eight full time employees who work directly with program participants spend the majority of their time supporting students. They spend each day in the classroom, working alongside students, helping them succeed academically and socially. If students need support outside the classroom, they use the Cultural Learning Nest, a comfortable furnished room developed for the program.

THE COMMUNITY

Standing Tall employees are considered a bridge to the community. Even though the initial staff were considered part of the larger Aboriginal community, they weren’t as closely linked as the current staff who live in the immediate neighbourhood and are either parents or grandparents of children in the community. The larger Métis community supports the cultural programming.

NEST

The Nest was a component that originated in New Zealand, where program schools created a community room within the school to encourage families to be part of the school setting. These rooms had their own private exterior door where parents came and went during the day and into the evening. Since both program schools had parent rooms with active parent programs, this concept was adapted to support student learning and cultural awareness.

MÉTIS CULTURE

A key component that sets Standing Tall apart from other educational initiatives is that it has a cultural component. In New Zealand, the employees were Elders who brought with them a wealth of information about their culture. Due to the history of Aboriginal people in Canada, the adults of the Aboriginal community here do not necessarily carry a wealth of cultural knowledge. In fact, in some cases there is a void of knowledge. It was considered vital to have additional cultural support as part of the program, which translated into inviting guest speakers and entertainers who shared their knowledge with students and project employees.

EMPLOYEE TRAINING

Ongoing training continues for the staff of Standing Tall through the Louis Riel Institute’s Provincial Coordinator. Through this training, employees learn about their culture, the public education system and how to work with students. Initial training focused on gathering data for the project. As the project developed and employees changed, the training moved toward Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) to Mature High School Diploma courses. These courses were offered to employees and parents.

For further information on the program or if you would like the opportunity to help us expand the program, contact Brittany Ross – Provincial Coordinator for Standing Tall at 204-984-9480.

Click here for a printable brochure with further information on the Standing Tall program.

Click here for Standing Tall research report.

Standing Tall Program Promotional Video

 

The Louis Riel Vocational College (LRVC) is your answer to an affordable investment in your future. We offer a unique, cultural and educational experience. Although originally created as an “educational vehicle” for the Métis people, we welcome all students from all backgrounds to experience what we have to offer.

Our diploma programs provide a “cultural and history” component designed to promote tolerance and understanding across all cultures.

At our college, you are more than just another student. We are invested in your success. We understand the value of not just an education, but education that will provide you with a career for you and your family.

At the LRVC we understand that going back to school can mean a sacrifice for families and participants. We believe that this sacrifice MUST come with an achievable and realistic goal.

Corporate Training and Workshops

We also provide relevant education to the business community and corporations through our one and two day workshops that can be hosted at our site or in your workplace. We offer an entire library of relevant training programs that can be customized to your exact business model.

Our approach includes a variety of different delivery methods that will empower all employees and learning styles.

Call or email us today to get started on your individual or corporate educational goals!

For more information, please visit the Louis Riel Vocational College website: http://www.lrvc.ca/

Organizations giving out scholarships have no idea who you are. They don’t know what the community thinks of you and what you are capable of. That’s where a reference letter comes into play. A reference letter is a letter of praise commending your character, various accomplishments and other feats.

There are many people you can ask to write you a reference letter: teachers, friends, professors, coaches, employers/ managers, community leaders, etc. Don’t be shy to ask as they will be more than willing to do it for you. Send them a formal letter requesting their assistance and provide as much information as you can that they can utilize. If you have permission from the person writing your letter, use it for multiple applications, that way you’re killing many birds with one stone.

Important things that should be included in your reference letter are:

• How they know you and how long your reference has known you.
• Your academic accomplishments, awards, and your potential for future success.
• Your character and integrity as a person.
• Information the application requests specifically such as : community involvement, organizational skills, writing skills, etc.

Sample Reference Letter Request

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