We've come a long way since 2000. We have a lot to celebrate in 2003.

Do you remember the first time you opened your mail and there was a newsletter or a notice that signalled the EWMNNS were active and a force to be reckoned with in the community?

We're still here and we've come a long way in 3 short years, thanks to the ongoing leadership of Tim and Mary Lou Parker and the Grand Council Members.

To date we have over 1300 members across Canada and into the United States on our mailing list. We have one major project currently underway, with the National Crime Prevention. We have developed internal protocols that distinguish our leadership, vision and the way we operate in a manner that honors our Traditions and guides our conduct within the not-for-profit and larger corporate community.

You may be wondering how all this is going on and you don't know a thing about it. Well, that is a concern that together with your help we hope to address through this newsletter.

As with all not-for-profit organizations, we rely on volunteers and the Executive Team to perform tasks, make decisions and keep our members connected. Regularly each month, a small group of volunteers and the Executive meet to review the projects, plan local events and make decisions to keep the EWMNNS an active force within the community.

It is important, as members, that you know that although we receive support for our projects, our administrative and internal operations are not funded. Thus we rely on the in-kind contributions of our small volunteer group, our Executive and our community partnerships.

Rest assured that this newsletter is not a promotion for you to send us funds! The purpose of this newsletter is for you to understand how your organization EWMNNS works and why we sometimes don't keep you informed as we would like to. The costs associated with nuturing a large network of people is considered an operational cost and therefore, we scramble for the in-kind support to make this happen, or create ways of tapping into one another's resources to support the work to be done for the Nation.

This is where you can help.

Through this newsletter, we will provide information to you on the status of our projects, the upcoming participation in the 2004 Acadian Congress, our drive for new members, updating our members list & web site and most importantly, your ideas on how to keep the Nation vibrant and connected.

In 2001 our harvesting policy was sent to the Federal & Provincial Governments and our Treaty was sent to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. We signed 2 Treaties, one with the Metis Women's Circle in Hamilton Ontario and the other with OMAP in Port McNicoll Ontario.

In 2002 the Town of Yarmouth recognized us as a Distinct Peoples, in response to sec. 35 of the 1982 Constitution in Ottawa. We applied for, and received, a Grant from both the Provincial and Federal Governments for our Domestic Abuse Crime Prevention Project.

On June 25, 2003 we received an award from the Honourable Robert Thibault from the Federal and Provincial Governments in recognition of our participation in Crime Prevention in our community. In 2003 we also received our Federal Registration number through Canadian Metis Allegience Port McNicoll Ontario. We opened our own office in Pier-One Complex on Water Street in Yarmouth, which is a professional office building. So you see, as we said, we have come a long way since December 2000. We will, this year, apply for another Grant to continue our fight against crime in our community.

We are trying to cover our Youths, Women, Elders and the Metis Families and community.

Some of these project initiatives will continue as on-going commitments to the Metis and local communities. Our projects require on-going operational funding in order to continue as a community program. We are investigating ways to support these programs. If you have ideas or wish to contribute to these projects, we would like to hear from you.

All of your information is treated with strict confidence. The information will be held in secure files located at our National Office:

EWMNNS
Pier-One Complex
101 Water Street 1A
Yarmouth, N.S.
B5A 4P4

If you have an idea or wish to participate in future projects please let us know.

These projects are an important vehicle for EWMNNS. Each year, the Executive Team and a group of volunteers will seek to include a National Gathering as part of a project. This gathering is a means of pulling together our members from all across Canada and parts of the United States. Due to funding, we have not yet achieved an annual status for these gatherings.

Nevertheless, we are proud of the Aboriginal Day picnics as they have provided excellent opportunities for our members and their families to share in Ceremonies and come together as a strong Nation with a strong voice.

At our monthly meetings, to ensure that we have a voice in the world, we hope many members attend. So your attendance is important. Your attendance is also important to ensure that we conduct business for the Executive of the EWMNNS.

It is important for us to actively consider the Executive positions of the EWMNNS as a larger group. The regular volunteers and the Executive know that our decisions are trusted by the members of the Nation. However, we would like to expand our contacts into other communities. One way that we can do this is through new members taking on active positions. Give this some consideration. There are many benefits to participating, only one of which being that it is a great addition to any resume.

It is important that we keep our communications and networks up-to-date. If you have family members that you think should be added to our mailing list, please pass along this information.

Our Logo - We've had many discussions about our logo. The wolf stands for family strength, courage and he is a defender of his home. That is exactly why we selected him, in order to bring all our Metis Family home and together at last.

Our intent is to honor the concept of the diversity of the EWMNNS while illustrating our connection to one another and to Mother Earth.

Please attend our September meeting on Tuesday September 30, 2003 at 6:30pm. It will be held at the Knights of Columbus on Collins Street in Yarmouth. This is a very important meeting as we wish to change our fiscal year from to .

As we reach out to our community, we discover many talented and gifted members. It is essential for us to connect with and draw upon our community for the work to be done.

If you have an idea, wish to lead a project, or share talents (through art, song, poetry), the EWMNNS will support you in developing your ideas. Contact our National Office for further information:

EWMNNS
Pier-One Complex
101 Water Street 1A
Yarmouth, N.S.
B5A 4P4

That's it for this newsletter and update. Thank you for continuing to support EWMNNS, and for your membership and prayers.

 

Return to Website Index

/   Return to Website Home Page