Audrey Mae Poitras (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Audrey Mae Dumont; born 1950)
has served as president of the
Métis Nation of Alberta since 1996, the first female in that position. She also serves as vice-president on the Canadian
Métis National Council and joined the Board of the
Canadian Executive Service Organization The Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) is a registered national and international development charity that has operated since 1967. The organization uses Canadian volunteers to work with private and public sectors to accomplish goals wit ...
in 2004.
The daughter of Jean Baptiste Dumont and Mabel Kinchshe, she shares common ancestry with
Gabriel Dumont, and has family ties to the
Fishing Lake Métis Settlement. She grew up on a farm near
Elk Point, Alberta, 150 kilometres northeast of
Edmonton.
She currently lives in
Edmonton, Alberta.
Career
As the
Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) President, Audrey Poitras is one of the highest profile Métis women in
Canada and has been an advocate for Métis rights. Elected as the first female President in 1996, she has since become the longest-serving President of the MNA.
Poitras has been an advocate for Métis rights and will continue to move the Métis rights agenda forward with the help of the
Daniels Supreme Court decision in 2016.
Poitras successfully negotiated partnerships with colleges and universities, for Métis Endowment funds of $22 million. She also oversaw the creation of the MNA's Rupertsland Institute and the Métis Centre of Excellence, which is a partnership with the
University of Alberta promoting education, training, and research.
In September 2003, as Interim President of the
Métis National Council, Poitras announced to the world, "We won! We won!" when the
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...
made its historic ruling in ''
R v Powley'', a
landmark case that affirms Métis as
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
people with rights protected by the
Constitution. One year later, in 2004, Poitras completed negotiations and signed the historic Interim Métis Harvesting Agreement with Alberta, which is the first agreement in the country to deliver
harvesting rights to Métis.
In April 2004, Poitras represented the Métis Nation at the historic Canada Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable attended by more than 20 federal
cabinet ministers and 70 Aboriginal leaders from across the country. Sitting alongside the
Prime Minister and other national Aboriginal leaders, Poitras affirmed the Métis Nation's commitment towards a Canada-Métis Nation Framework Agreement. Poitras witnessed the signing of the Framework Agreement on 31 May 2005 during the federal Policy Retreat on Aboriginal issues in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
.
In 2005, Poitras was named among "The Alberta 100" by
CBC, and "Alberta's 50 most influential people" by ''Alberta Venture'' magazine. In 2017, the Alberta Chamber of Resources selected Poitras as the 2016 Indigenous Leader of the Year. She has also received various other awards and achievement milestones throughout her career, including a
National Aboriginal Achievement Award.
One of Poitras' most significant achievements was the creation of Métis Crossing, a multimillion-dollar cultural
interpretive site, along the banks of the
North Saskatchewan River near
Smoky Lake, Alberta.
Achievements and Awards
* Appreciation Award,
University of Alberta School of Native Studies 1998
* Region 2 Recognition Award,
Metis National Council
Metis or Métis may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Métis, recognized Indigenous communities in Canada and America whose distinct culture and language emerged after early intermarriage between First Nations peoples and early European settlers, primar ...
, 1999
* Native Counselling Service of Alberta, 2001
* Uniting for Children, Children's Services Ministry 2003
* Esquao Lifetime Achievement Award, Institution For Advancement of Aboriginal Women 2002
* Louis Dorion Award for Outstanding Commitment,
Batoche Batoche may refer to:
*Batoche, Saskatchewan, a historic site in Saskatchewan
* Batoche (electoral district), an electoral district in Saskatchewan
* Batoche (former electoral district), a former electoral district in Saskatchewan
*Batoche (N.W.T. e ...
2002
* Politics Award, Aboriginal Role Models of Alberta 2002
* Order of the Métis Shawl, Métis Elder's Council 2003
*
Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal 2003
*
Hon. Degree in Management,
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology 2005
*
CBC's The Alberta 100 Recognition 2005
* "one of Alberta's most influential people", ''Alberta Venture Magazine'' 2005
* Circle of Honour, Institute For Advancement of Aboriginal Women 2007 (highest honour given for work to improve lives of Aboriginal people)
* Recognition Award, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta 2009
*
National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Women in Politics 2011
* Alberta Chamber of Resources Indigenous Leader of the Year Award 2016
* Region 3 Recognition Award 2018
References
External links
Métis Nation of Alberta: President profile*audreypoitras.com
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