Vancouver Métis Community Association is a Métis community organization in Vancouver, British Columbia. The organization was established in 1995 as the Vancouver Métis Association by Dr. Howard Adams.[1]
They are a community of social activists whose definition is:
A Full Métis is a person of Aboriginal Ancestry, who:
a) Declares him/herself to be Métis; and can provide proof of his/her Métis ancestry, or,
b) Has traditionally held him/herself out to be Métis, and has been recognized by this community at large as Métis.[2]
In November 2003 the name was changed to the Vancouver Métis Community Association.[3]
They are also responsible for the formation of The Walk Bravely Forward Society, a regional charitable organization which assists incarcerated Aboriginal offenders as they transition to community life.[4]
The VMCA encourages education, arts and culture and were key in the development of the Aboriginal Voices Radio Network and made a presentation at CRTC public hearings regarding this in the year 2000.[5]
Several VMCA members produced a half-hour documentary about Métis Elders called Not Just A Half Breed which has been running on the Aboriginal People's Television Network (APTN), and a copy of which is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
References
edit- ^ Province of British Columbia Ministry of Finance & Corporate Relations File Number: S-33881.
- ^ Taken from VMCA Constitution filed under the BC Society Act - July 1995.
- ^ Certificate of Change of Name - BC Society Act, Number S-33881, November 5, 2003.
- ^ BC Society Act Certificate of Incorporation Number: S-48655, February 2005, and Federal Registered Charity Number: 86330 7583 RR0001, February 2006.
- ^ CRTC Website - Public Hearings, November 2000.