Online Panel / Métis Now: Elders, Artists and Activists

On Thursday, June 16 at 6pm (PST), join Massy Arts, Massy Books, and Métis artist Nevada Christianson for an online panel discussion inspired by her latest book: “Métis Now: Elders, Artists, and Activists” (2022, Hemlock Press). The publication is a collection of digital illustrations that investigate portraiture as a form of activism to shine a light on inspiring members of the Indigenous community.

At the event, Christianson will be joined by Métis Elder and advisor on Aboriginal mental health Denise McCuaig, elected Regional Métis Women’s representative for the Kootenays Jana Schulz, and Two-Spirit and non-binary Métis visual artist Lynette La Fontaine. After the panel, an intimate session of Q&A will be open to all attendees.

The event will be hosted online, through Massy Arts’ Zoom room.

This event is free + open to all of our community, and registration is mandatory.

This event is part of Massy Voices, an ever-evolving collection of book launches, exclusive interviews, and artist talks that celebrate community voices and the stories they carry. Click here to know more.

Click here to register for the event

: :

Book Synopsis

Métis Now: Elders, Artists, and Activists is a collection of portraits that honours Elders, supports artists and celebrates activists in the Métis community.

: :

Author + Guests

Nevada Christianson (she/her) is an activist at heart, dedicated to evolving and leveraging her creative practice to serve as a conduit for change in the realms of social and climate justice. Formerly a painter, Nevada now works digitally as a graphic artist and studies Visual Art at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. She is gratefully living and working in Whistler on the shared, unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and the Lilwat7úl (Lil’wat) Nation. Nevada is Cree Métis from her maternal line (descending from the historic Métis Tourand family) with Irish and Italian European ancestry. She is a citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia and a member of the Fraser Valley Métis Association.

Denise McCuaig is an accomplished Métis woman with an excellent knowledge and background in Aboriginal health and mental health and addictions. Denise has been an Indigenous Advisor on Aboriginal mental health and addictions through a number of boards and committees, including but not limited to, advisory to the Canadian Mental Health Strategy led by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training program designed and hosted by BC Provincial Health Service Authority Indigenous Health and was the lead on Aboriginal health planning and implementation for the Interior Health Authority. In 2006, The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) awarded Denise with a Champion Mental Health Award recognizing her hard work and contributions. In 2003, closer to home in Kamloops, BC, the YMCA, awarded Denise with a Woman of Distinction Award.

Jana Schulz is a passionate advocate for change and uses her voice to stand up for women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in her community. She is the elected Regional Métis Women’s representative for the Kootenays and is a past president of her local Métis chartered community. Jana strives to advocate for women’s rights, community safety, accountability, meaningful community connections, and ending gender and race-based violence. She has first-hand experience in navigating the complex systems and challenges associated with locating Métis specific supports. Jana uses both her lived and professional experiences to help support individuals and families in navigating community resources and finding solutions. After testifying at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2018, a referral was sent to the RCMP Commissioner and Minister of Justice regarding her testimony. Through that process, she has continuously advocated to work through informal resolutions with her local detachment. Jana hopes that ongoing and consistent advocacy will lead to safer communities by building better connections and partnerships that provide more support and safety for Métis women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in her community.

muskwa mostos kesigok iskew is their spirit name, which roughly translates as Bear Buffalo Northern Lights Woman. They were given the French name Lynette La Fontaine by their parents, Richard La Fontaine and LeEtta La Fontaine (née Poirier) at birth. Their late dad was Métis and their mom is a French/Irish settler. Lynette is a Métis visual artist with roots in Northern Saskatchewan, as well as the historic Métis communities of the Red River settlement. In 2016, Lynette began a formal mentorship journey to learn Métis art forms with knowledge holders and Elders. Since then, they have mentored others formally and informally in Métis beadwork, whitefish scales, tufting, and tanning hides. It is Lynette’s lifelong commitment to pick up all Métis art forms to maintain the knowledge and pass on to future generations.

: :