Pride in Metis identity is on the rise in Kootenays

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For those who have just found or re-discovered their Metis culture and identity, Kootenay Region Metis Association (KRMA) may be the very place to turn for comfort and support.

Marlin Ratch, executive assistant to the council, and the program co-ordinator for the employment and training program at the KRMA, said, "That's a big part of our being right now is trying to reintegrate some of that lost culture back into Metis people in our area because a lot of them were never even exposed to it.

"The loss of pride and having to hide yourself-you're not one thing, you're not the other thing, and you're half way in between-but to be proud of (our culture), that's something that we try to strive to change and let our own people realize that there is a reason to be proud. There are a lot of things that Metis have done in this country, and they should be recognized for it and should be proud of it.

"We first established ourselves in 1995, basically because we had several Metis in the area and no real service provider or even an outlet for ourselves.

"We are the cultural Metis in Western Canada, we're basically recognized as part of the Metis National Council and Metis provincial council of B.C., so we're on the political representative front-that's our main purpose of the society," Ratch said.

KRMA is the delivery agent for Aboriginal human resource development for the Kootenay region.

The association runs health programs, youth programs with cultural initiatives, a family law program, and the employment and training program.

Since 1997 when the employment program started, more than 500 people have been sent for training. A 1997 survey showed that two-thirds of Metis people in the area were either unemployed or under-employed, Ratch said. "We've really knocked that down quite a bit because we've been able to get them skills through the different institutions in the area." Those skills included post-secondary education and specialty training.

"That's something that's been a real bonus to our people in general, because quite often you'll see that same stigma that runs across First Nations, you know, not being able to finish school and having to leave for this reason or that, and it's quite often forgotten that the Metis population they are Aboriginal too."

The Community Action Program for Children is funded through the Health Canada. It started at KRMA in 1997 to help families address the health, behavioral and developmental needs of children between birth and six years of age. The outreach workers in the East Kootenay Area (Golden, Invermere, Kimberley, Cranbrook, Elk Valley and Creston) assist families with home visits, parenting skills and learning activities.

The Aboriginal Family Law Program began in September, 2001.

"The program mission is to represent the interests and rights of Aboriginal people, to increase public awareness of the law and the justice system, and to provide legal education to groups and individuals."

However, the Kootenay Aboriginal Resource Centre, which promoted off-reserve Aboriginal self-sufficiency in employment, education and skills development, was discontinued Sept. 31 because of lack of funding.

The association employs six, and is assisted by 20 volunteers. "That's how our association runs is on the strength of our volunteers. The programs themselves are run by the actual people employed by them, but mostly everything else in the association-decision making and all that type of thing, the watch doggy, you might say-is by our elected council, board members, community representatives," Ratch said.

The KRMA regional office is in Cranbrook, but it takes care of an area from Golden to Castlegar, to Creston, to Cranbrook and Elk Valley.

The KRMA rents its building but the board hopes to buy it or build a new one.

"Most of our funding comes through our programs, and the rest of the money that we have for operations for our association itself comes from our memberships." Bsic membership dues paid once in a lifetime is $10.

For more information about the association and its programs visit http://www.members.shaw.ca/krma