Métis Spirit Award

The Métis Spirit Award lifts up the voices, actions, and stories of young Métis who give back to their communities and live their culture. This award is a way to recognize youth and young adults who show their commitment through any of the following:

  • Uplifts Métis youth voices and communities and demonstrates a commitment to creating a positive social change.
  • Exemplifies kindness by demonstrating acts of selflessness or compassion, that positively impact others.
  • Actively engages with Métis culture, demonstrating dedicated efforts to raise awareness and connect with Métis culture and Michif languages.
  • Demonstrates active involvement and service in the community, including land stewardship and land-based activities.
  • Engages in educational, extracurricular, leadership, community service, or athletic initiatives, serving as a positive influence on their peers.
  • Has overcome adversity or displaying commitment to personal change and growth by overcoming personal or societal barriers.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Métis youth and young adults age 15-30

Stay tuned for when nominations open again.

2025 Recipients

Lily Jenson

2025 Recipient

Lily Jenson

2025 Recipient

Lily is a Grade 11 student pursuing her education in the francophone program. Proud of her Métis heritage, her family roots trace back to St. Laurent and St. Boniface, with family names including Lavallée, Ducharme, Desjarlais, Henry, Campbell and Lagimodière. Lily is deeply committed to sharing and celebrating her Métis culture through language, art, and tradition.

A dedicated language learner, Lily has been studying Michif for the past five years. Now, at just 16 years old, she is recognized as a proficient, immersive speaker. She actively shares her language skills in both her Métis and francophone communities and has even been asked to teach classes for young learners—an impressive testament to her leadership in language revitalization.

Lily’s passion for Métis culture extends beyond language. She is an avid beader, and a member of a jigging group, keeping traditional art forms and dance alive. In 2023, she proudly represented Team BC at the North American Indigenous Games, where she helped her soccer team bring home a gold medal.

An exemplary student, Lily excels academically and plans to pursue post-secondary studies with a focus on Language Revitalization. Her dedication to preserving and promoting her Métis heritage, combined with her athletic and academic achievements, make Lily an inspiring role model, demonstrating the power of youth leadership in strengthening Métis language and culture.

Emma Kramer

2025 Recipient

Emma Kramer

2025 Recipient

Emma Kramer is a disabled Métis youth who resides in Kelowna, BC.

She is a multidisciplinary artist who creates beadwork and moccasins. When teaching in her community, she strives to foster an authentic and safe space for all participants to share, learn, and grow.

A dedicated member of the MNBC Eco Collective, Emma works to protect local ecosystems by collecting litter from waterways. She expresses her passion for land stewardship through her artistic practice.

Emma’s work can be found on her artist page, ‘Big Mink Beads.’

Payton Murphy

2025 Recipient

Payton Murphy

2025 Recipient

Payton is a 16-year-old Métis youth knowledge holder living as a guest on the unceded ancestral land of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. She is mixed Red River Métis/Settler and comes from a long line of ancestors who were performers, actors, dancers and singers.

She has been a competitive dancer for 10 years. She dances ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, and lyrical styles. She also loves jigging. She learned to dance the Red River jig from Métis Bev Lambert and Madelaine McCallum. She is grateful for the teachings she has received. Payton considers dance as medicine.

Payton has been doing presentations and workshops since 2022. She has spoken at local, regional, and provincial events. Payton does workshops about Métis culture, art, traditional medicines, women’s health, and jigging. She is a Grade 10 student, and also works for School District 57.

In her free time, she spends time with family and friends, volunteers, drums, sings, makes medicines, and spends time out on the land. She has been lucky to have so much love and support from the Lheidli T’enneh community and considers it an honour to be able to do her teachings on their beautiful territory.

Sisely Roeters

2025 Recipient

Sisely Roeters

2025 Recipient

Sisely Roeters is 17 years old from Golden, BC. She is in grade 11 and plans to go to nursing school when she finishes high school. Sisely is also the Youth Representative at Métis Nation Columbia River Society.

Sisely loves beading, jigging, and is a leader in her small community. She is an active being who loves snowboarding, gymnastics, aerial silks, climbing, dirt biking, and camping.

Last semester, Sisely had a block at school for her leader roll (youth rep), and she dedicated lots of her time in and out of school for the youth. She had activities for the youth to attend, baked/cooked nutritious meals, and so much more. For Christmas 2024, Sisely had a Christmas lunch for students at the school as well as a raffle to win gift baskets and little gifts.

Sisely is committed to giving back to the community in any way she can. She is so grateful to be picked as one of the Métis Spirit Award recipients. Thank you MNBC and MYBC!

Haedan Turner

2025 Recipient

Haedan Turner

2025 Recipient

Haedan is incredibly grateful to have received the Métis Spirit Award. As a proud member of the Fort St. John Métis Society and the Métis Nation of B.C., this recognition fills him with pride in his Métis heritage. Haedan’s Métis roots come from his mother’s side, and despite being away from home for many years while training to become a doctor, his connection to his culture remains strong. It has been challenging for him not to be able to connect with his home community as often as he would like, but he looks forward to the day he can return and serve as a physician. This award is a profound reminder that Haedan’s cultural ties endure no matter where he is, and he knows his family shares in the pride he feels. To receive acknowledgment from the nation means the world to him, and he will carry this honor with him always.

Annelie Wells

2025 Recipient

Annelie Wells

2025 Recipient

Annelie is Red River Métis from Treaty 1 territory on her mother’s side, and mixed European on her father’s side. Annelie is in their final year of studies at the University of British Columbia and will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in First Nations and Indigenous Studies. She works as a student advisor in the šxʷta:təχʷəm student space and enjoys teaching other Indigenous students how to bead.

Past Recipients

  • Cayleigh Borsboom

    2024 Recipient

    Cayleigh Borsboom

    2024 Recipient

    Cayleigh (she/her) is a mixed settler/Métis transgender woman with a background as a freelance musician and bookseller.

    She is a citizen of the Alberni-Clayoquot Metis Association and currently lives as a guest on the unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation in what is known as Nanaimo.

    Her own struggles with mental health and connection to culture have drawn her into a healing journey in and out of culture over the past several years. This struggle and growth have brought her to the Mental Health Navigator role with MNBC to effect and pay forward the change and support she has received from others.

  • Danna Campbell

    2024 Recipient

    Danna Campbell

    2024 Recipient

    Danna Campbell is 17 years old and from Kamloops, BC. She is currently in her final year of high school and looks forward to graduating. She loves to bead and has created unique beadwork pieces for over a year. She challenges herself to go out of her comfort zone and create elaborate pieces as she gets better.

    She is a part of two district-wide student councils including the District Student Advisory Council and Aboriginal Leadership Council, as well as her school’s own Environment club. She is actively involved in her community through school and personal life whether that be standing up against violence in schools or simply teaching indigenous youth to bead.

    She hopes to get her undergraduate degree in Sociology as well as a Bachelor of Social Work to pursue a career in social work. She hopes to make a lasting impact on the individuals she surrounds herself with.

  • Ryan Conneely

    2024 Recipient

    Ryan Conneely

    2024 Recipient

    Ryan is so grateful for the continuous support he receives from his loved ones, community and mentors. As a person of Métis heritage, his cultural background is a foundational aspect of his identity.

    It intertwines with his roles as a spouse, father, son, and brother, contributing to the complexity of his lived experiences. These experiences have influenced his approach to education and advocacy for Indigenous Peoples across turtle island.

  • Nic Lafontaine

    2024 Recipient

    Nic Lafontaine

    2024 Recipient

    Nic Lafontaine is a dedicated Computer Science student with a passion for technology and innovation. Hailing from a Métis background, he actively engages in promoting Indigenous representation and culture, having served as an assistant coach at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).

    In addition to his academic pursuits, he brings a competitive spirit from his college basketball days, where he honed his skills on the court. Today, he continues to find joy in playing basketball and lifting weights for fun, demonstrating his commitment to both mental and physical well-being alongside his academic journey in the world of computer science.

  • Gavin Parks

    2024 Recipient

    Gavin Parks

    2024 Recipient

    Graduating with a 4.0 GPA and excelled in advanced placement chemistry and biology classes, Gavin is thrilled to embark on the next phase of his academic journey at the University of the Fraser Valley, to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He plans to pursue a double degree in Science and Indigenous Studies before applying to medical school.

    Gavin is engaged in extracurricular activities reflecting his passion for leadership and community service. As a member of the varsity football team, Gavin has honed his skills on the field and showcases qualities of leadership, determination, and sportsmanship in every aspect of his life. He is committed to giving back to the community through various initiatives. Notably, he has organized a charity football camp with the aim to raise awareness and funds for the BC Transplant Society. Gavin’s volunteer work as a junior leader with Big Brothers Big Sisters allowed him to play a pivotal role in fostering social skills, healthy decision-making, and self-esteem among the students he mentors.