MNBC's 2024 All-Staff Gathering Agenda and Registration

MNBC's 2024 All-Staff Gathering will take place on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 and Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at Fort Langley National Historic Site.

This gathering is a fantastic opportunity for us to come together as the Métis public service, celebrate our accomplishments, and set our sights on the future. It's a time for team-bonding, learning, and recharging.

This form will enable you to select breakout room preferences, inform us of your dietary needs, book a seat on the shuttle from the hotel to the venue, and submit hotel accommodation requests for those eligible.

To account for all staff attending, please complete the registration form below by Friday, October 18, 2024 at 12:00 PM noon. Maarsii!

Travel

If you are traveling to the event via air, please fill out the air travel form on MNBC's SharePoint at your earliest convenience.

If you are traveling to the event via ferry, please fill out the ferry travel form on MNBC’s SharePoint at your earliest convenience.

When prompted, indicate “All Staff” as the reason for travel. Please include your Department/Ministry Budget Code.

Accommodation

Your Events team has secured accommodations at the Sandman Signature Langley Hotel. Accommodation will be provided to staff outside 50 km of the Fort Langley National Historic Site. When submitting your travel request form, we ask that you indicate “no” for hotel when prompted.

The Events team will coordinate with Corporate Traveler and Finance regarding check-in/check-out dates and send you a confirmation email once your travel itinerary is finalized.

If you are not traveling via air or ferry, and require accommodation because you reside outside 50 km of the Fort Langley National Historic Site, please indicate your check-in/out dates below.

Transportation

There are 4 modes of transportation available:
1) Uber/Taxi from the airport to the hotel and back.
2) Shuttle between Sandman Signature Langley Hotel and Fort Langley National Historic Site. Region 2 staff are welcome to catch this shuttle.
3) Carpool with other staff and coordinate via the Carpool Sign-Up Sheet shared in the ALL STAFF Teams chat.
4) Public transit. Visit the Translink website to plan your trip.

Shuttle Schedule:
Tuesday, October 22
Departing Sandman Signature Langley Hotel at
7:45 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:15 AM.

Departing Fort Langley National Historic Site at
4:10 PM, 4:15 PM, 4:40 PM.

Wednesday, October 23
Departing Sandman Signature Langley Hotel at
7:30 AM, 7:45 AM, 8:00 AM.

Departing Fort Langley National Historic Site at
4:35 PM, 4:40 PM, 4:45 PM, 5:05 PM.

Note: These times are subject to change. Please check back frequently for updated times.

What to Wear

As we will be on the land at Fort Langley National Historic Site, please be prepared to dress for cooler, rainy weather. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes, bringing rain gear, wearing warm clothing, and layering up. Dress for comfort!

The general session will take place in a tent with walls, flooring, and heat.

For those participating in the Voyageur Games, we recommend bringing extra clothing.

IMPORTANT: The Fort Langley National Historic Site will be open to the public during our gathering. We recommend keeping your personal belongings with you at all times.

What to Bring

- Umbrella
- Water Bottle
- Staff Lanyard

Agenda

Staff have the option to participate in up to 4 Breakout Sessions on Day 1, on a first-come first-serve basis. Please make your selections in the form below in order of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choice. You will be advised of your breakout session schedule at Registration Check-In on Day 1.

Breakout Session Option: Introduction to Traditional Plant Medicine with Lisa Shepherd

Knowledge carrier, Lisa Shepherd, will introduce you to seven plant medicines through her photo journal. You’ll meet plant relations; tobacco, stinging nettle, plantain, cottonwood buds, spruce tips, soopalalie and dyers coreopsis and learn about their various uses. After the plant introduction, Lisa will demonstrate how to make a medicinal salve that is good for healing abrasions, minimizing itching from insect bites and moisturizing your skin. You will take home your own tin of salve.

About Lisa Shepherd

Lisa Shepherd is a celebrated artist and highly respected cultural ambassador and Elder for the Métis Nation, evidenced by the growth of her artist business, vast number of communities she has empowered through workshop facilitation, number of youth she has mentored, and by the acquisition of her culturally inspired art displayed across the nation and internationally. Lisa has employed her skill in interpreting contemporary Métis perspectives and ancestral histories into artistic works to create space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to learn about Métis culture. In doing so, she has revitalized culture and increased the visibility of Métis people in British Columbia (BC) and across the homeland. Originally from Treaty 6 Territory and within the Métis homelands and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4, Lisa now resides on the unceded traditional territory of Katzie and Kwantlen First Nations, in BC. Her kinship ties include Campion, Dumont, Grant, Gladue, Lussier, and Chartrand lines. Her ancestors fought in the Victory of Frog Plain, founded the Laboucan Settlement (now Duhamel), and created beadwork that are identity pieces, containing stories that are cherished today.

"I’m immersed in our Métis culture. When I’m not creating Métis artwork, including beadwork, leatherwork and carving, I’m teaching workshops, performing/teaching Métis jigging, or advocating for Métis inclusion and culture revitalization on Advisory committees at both a local and national level."

Breakout Session Option: Métis Square Dancing with Andre Bessette

Are you ready to square-dance?! You may have jigged before, but have you whirled around with a square-dance partner? Come try square-dancing for the first time in this beginner’s workshop. André Bessette and Kehew-Neepin Roussel will be leading the workshop.

Métis dance was first described in 1860 as “Jigs, reels and quadrilles… danced in rapid succession… A black-eyed beauty in blue calico and a strapping Bois Brule would jump up from the floor and outdo their predecessors in figure and velocity.” Our communities knew how to leap onto the dance floor and dance to whatever fiddle tune was playing. Métis traditional dances included quadrilles which later became Métis square-dancing. The goal is to continue teaching Métis traditional and contemporary dances so that in the future Métis folks will be able to dance to any jig, reel, or square-dance!

Please bring comfortable shoes. Feel free to bring your moccasins or dance shoes.

About André Bessette

André Bessette is a lifelong, uninvited visitor to the unceded and ancestral lands of the sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations in so-called Vancouver. He is Red River Métis, and a mixed settler of French, Croatian and Irish ancestry, with family ties to Grantown, Fort Garry, and Cayer on the ancestral territories of the Anishinaabe and Ininew Nations where Treaty 1 and 2 lay. As a disconnected urban Métis, André has reclaimed his grandmother’s heritage through reconnecting with family, urban cousins, as well as Métis history, culture, and dance.

Taught by Yvonne Chartrand and other dancers from Compaigni V’ni Dansi since 2017, André found the gregariousness of Métis jigging matched his personality. He has also trained in breakdancing, swing, house, acrobatics and contemporary dance. As an unconventionally trained dancer, André values community approaches to the exchange of dance. He firmly believes that dance is for every human and no barriers should keep people from expressing themselves through movement.

Breakout Session Option: Métis Design Elements and Watercolor with Carly Nabess

During the Métis Design Elements and Watercolor Workshop, participants will learn about Métis beadwork design elements while creating beautiful watercolour paintings that honour Métis floral beading. Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with Métis beadwork, resources, furs and hide.

About Carly Nabess

Carly Nabess (she/her) is a Métis multimedia artist who creates beading and tufted watercolor landscape paintings, beadwork inspired by ancestor work, and Métis murals. She is living, and working on the territories of the Tsimshian Nation. Her work integrates a diversity of mediums, from paint to beads and hair tufting to ink.

Paternal Métis Lineage – Carly’s father, Gayton Nabess aMétis carver) His father, her paternal grandfather, Andre "Andy" Nabess was born in The Pas to parents William and Elizabeth Nabess née Campbell. Her grandmother, Olive Nabess née O'Neil was born in The Pas Manitoba in 1935 to her great-grandparents, Rose Delaronde from Skownan Manitoba, Treaty 2 Territory and Alvin O'Neil. Her grandfather “Andy” was also born in The Pas to parents William “Bill” and Elizabeth Nabess née Campbell. She introduces her lineage because it situates her within my Métis community and identity.

Breakout Session Option: Métis Bateau Presentation by Pat Calihou

During the Métis Bateau Presentation, Pat Calihou will talk about his bateau exhibit at the Fort Langley National Historic Site. He will teach participants about boat-making and how a traditional bateau would have been used to transport goods during the fur trade in the Columbia District.

About Pat Calihou

Pat Calihou Métis artist is best known for building a full size replica York boat and a full size Red River cart at historic Fort Langley. He spends his time teaching people of all ages the art of carving while leaving as man beautiful Métis foot prints as possible.

"I am a craftsman. I create Red River carts, canoes, paddles, york boats, instruments, Métis inspired wooden playgropunds. I facilitate paddle carving workshops and canoe building workshops. I work in both traditional and contemporary methods almost every single piece of art that I create from the image to the colours or the methods in which they are made are Métis in nature."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)