Being twice blessed, we are the people of a union of two Great Nations!

We continue to celebrate in 2004. We want you to know that EWMNNS are still an active force to be reckoned with within the community.

We are still here and continue to grow stronger every day, thanks to the ongoing leadership of Tim and Mary Lou Parker and the Grand Council members.

We would like to tell you all that we lost Don Cadeau, President of OMAP. We were great allies with Don, as we worked together for all Metis peoples. He has gone to a much higher plane and his spirit continues to help us in our time of despair. His companion Vivian Wilson has graciously accepted the post of President of OMAP and we welcome her in our hearts. We are with you, Vivian, and all of the members of OMAP.

In our last newsletter we had over 1300 members. As of April 2004, we have over 2831 members across Canada and into the USA on our mailing list.

We have applied for and will receive another Grant with the National Crime Prevention.

We continue to develop internal protocols that distinguish our leadership and visions while continuing to honor our traditions and guide our conduct within the not-for-profit and larger corporate community.

Along with volunteers and the executive team, who perform tasks and make decisions to keep our members connected, we have regular meetings at the Canadian Legion on Parade Street in Yarmouth NS. These meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm. These meetings are held to plan local events and to make decisions to keep the EWMNNS an active force within the community.

We are still not funded for our projects. Therefore, we must still rely on inkind support from our small volunteer group and Executive, along with our community partnership.

Our 2004 dues are due. With your kind consideration of supporting your organization, we should be able to pay for the cost of postage for these newsletters, which is considered an operational cost. We try to create ways of tapping into each other's pockets to support the work to be done for the Nation.

Because a people without stories is like the wind in the buffalo grass, it is essential that we keep our Nation active in order to teach our youth our stories and customs. Who will keep our dreams? We are joined together in our Native Heritage and in our efforts to seek recognition for the victims of genocide. We are a family of castaways, clinging together to rise above the flood of genocide to build a foundation for our children and our children's children.

All of our projects and initiatives are ongoing committments to the Metis and local communities. We require ongoing operational funding in order to continue. Any ideas on this matter will be greatly appreciated.

In 1957, 1989 and 1994 the Decade of Indiginous Peoples was proclaimed to be 1994-2004. This is indeed our year!!

On August 13, 2004, we will have a Heritage Day at Ecole Par en Bas, which is our new French emergent school. We will also be participating in Acadian Congress 2004.

A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. Together we have taken that first step, Brothers and Sisters, and we must continue to work together. We must all unite and stand together for the betterment of ALL our Peoples. We are who we are. God made us this way. We are HIS children. We, too, have the dream, the dream of one day belonging.

All our projects are considered an important vehicle for EWMNNS. Each year the Executive team and our group of volunteers will seek to include a National gathering as part of our ongoing project. These gatherings will be a means of pulling together our members from Canada and the USA. Funding is needed to achieve an annual status for these gatherings.

Nevertheless, we continue to have our Aboriginal Day picnics. They provide excellent opportunities for our members and their families to share in ceremonies and come together as a strong Nation with a strong voice.

We are proud to let all members know that on December 13, 2003 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Yarmouth NS, an Articulate Agreement was signed with the Yarmouth and District Metis Council to join our Great Nation. They will now be called The Yarmouth and District Circle. They are under our umbrella, with a united voice, as it was meant to be. The following is a letter of intent to the Confederacy of Nova Scotia Metis and the Canadian Metis Council from President Raymond Muise of Y&D:

"This is to inform the above noted Councils that the Yarmouth and District Metis Council will no longer be affiliated with the Confederacy of NS Metis and the Canadian Metis Council, effective upon receipt of this letter. We, as a unit and with the majority support of our members, have willingly agreed to become an independent part of the Eastern Woodlean Metis Nation NS.

We feel that presently there is no communications within all parts of the Confederacy and there are no signs of advancement for the Metis people as a whole. It has always been our belief that the Metis people would be best represented as a united body, as one unit. This was the initial plan for the Confederacy, but over the past four years it has become apparent that certain situations have made it impossible to work together as such.

With this move, the Yarmouth and District Metis Council feels that by uniting with EWMNNS we will be moving forward to a more prosperous future for all Metis People."

This letter was signed by:

Raymond Muise (President)
Shawn d'Entremont (Vice-President)
Stan Muise (Head Elder)

That was indeed a great day for the Nation!

Walking the Great Path brings great responsibilities. We are an autonomist people and wish to remain so. We will walk side by side within the Government to reach our place in the sun. Only we know what we need for our People. The decision should be made by our People for our People. We have indeed earned our seat at the head table.

We know that our decisions are trusted by the members of the Nation, and now we are expanding our contacts into other communities. The benefits that will be obtained by active positions within the community are phenomenal, including a worthy addition to a resume.

We are working on updating our mailing list. Please inform us of any change of address that you may have.

As you can see, a lot has been and continues to be happening for the EWMNNS in 2004. As we improve our communications network, we will be adding a calendar of events to our website. We are working on a strategy to keep the website up-to-date on a regular basis.

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

As always, the EWMNNS appreciates the support and encouragement of all our members, as we work together to strengthen and grow our Nation.

If you wish to contribute your ideas, talents, abilities, time and/or financial support to further our work, please contact our National Office for further information:

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

We look forward to hearing from you!

'Til next time...

"Earth Mother"
Chief Mary Lou Parker

Footnote:

We have begun negotiations with the NS Government for recognition. This all takes funding, so we have set up an emergency fund at:

Coastal Finance Credit Union
371 Main Street
PO Box 490
Yarmouth, NS

Any donations will be greatly appreciated...