Métis Nation—Saskatchewan will be receiving close to $3 million under the Early learning and Child Care Innovation program for their Miyo Kiskinahamatowin ashi Sitokatowin: Awasisak Program Teaching and Supporting our Children project.
This project addresses parents’ knowledge, language and Métis and First Nation cultural awareness to improve early development and school readiness for their children in the Pinehouse Lake community.
The announcement came during their Guiding Our Children—Elders Sharing Their Voice early learning child care conference in Saskatoon on Friday.
“It is our Métis government’s responsibility to care for our children in the best way, to create a strong foundation in our Métis identity, culture, values, and language,” said Glen McCallum, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan president.
“Our working partnerships help make this happen.”
Métis Nation—Saskatchewan also received over $337,000 as part of the Indigenous early learning and child care quality improvement projects for their Who I Am project. The recently completed project developed culturally relevant early learning and childcare resources to better help develop a strong sense of Métis identity in the 12 Métis Nation regions in Saskatchewan.
“To be able to share that knowledge with our children, to be able to put that information into our school systems and teach our children to be proud of who they are, that’s the work the Métis Nation is doing here today,” said McCallum.