About us

Cécile Howse lives on Kikino Métis Settlement in Alberta. Her family, of Dene, Cree and French ancestry, is originally from the Lac La Biche area. Cécile’s father was Vital Boucher and her mother was Madeleine McDonald. Her grandparents, on her paternal side, were Francis Boucher and Josette Lavallée, whose nickname was “Kokum O Fort”. Cécile’s grandfather, on her maternal side, was William McDonald and her other grandmother, Caroline, answered to the nickname “Kokum O Village”.

Shirley Dion (née Letendre) was born in Lac Ste. Anne on December 17, 1945. She lived all her life by the lake, where her family has been established for several generations: her mother, Caroline Belcourt, her father, Arthur Letendre (known as Archie), as well as her grandmother Alice Belcourt, of whom Shirley has fond memories. Shirley had 5 children with Clarence Dion: Line, Belinda, Rhonda, Clarence Jr and Tammy. All high school graduates, Shirley's children in turn gave her 10 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Shirley has been raising one of these great- granddaughters, Scarlett-Rose, since birth. While Scarlett-Rose, who also appears in our videos, is about to enter kindergarten, Shirley now has at heart to accompany her as best as she can in this new world, not without a certain anxiety towards social workers and other school educators, an anxiety inherited from her personal and family history, but also from collective history.

Judy Hilbert (née Letendre) was born on December 19, 1941, in Lac Ste-Anne, Alberta, where both her parents were originally from. Judy identifies herself as Métis. So did her parents. Her mother, Philomen Letendre (née Loyer) was of Cree and French ancestry. Her father, Wilfried Letendre, was of Irish and Cree ancestry, with French ancestry as well. His mother, Nancy Cummingham, was Irish, Cree, and French ancestry. His father, Samuel Letendre, was of Cree and French ancestry. Philomen and Wilfried had seven children, five daughters, and two sons; Judy being the youngest. Ken Letendre, whose videos you can also find on this website, is one of her brothers. He is seven years older. Judy lived in Lac Ste. Anne for part of her childhood. She went to school in this large Métis Settlement until Grade 6, then the family moved to Edmonton. Judy and her family used to speak Cree Michif at home, as well as English. English was also the language of the school she attended. Judy married John Hilbert, a German citizen who immigrated to Canada, with whom she had three children: Candace (Hilbert Priel), Mickael (Hilbert), and Heidi (Hilbert). She is now the grandmother of three grandchildren (Matthew, Patrick, and Grant) and the great-grandmother of two (Brettney and Jarrett).

Originally from France and now a Canadian, Eva Lemaire is a professor of Education at the University of Alberta, on Treaty 6 territory. She is Associate Professor at Faculté Saint-Jean and Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Education (Department of Educational Policy Studies). Her areas of expertise are intercultural education, multilingual education, as well as language awareness/crosslinguistic awareness. Eva Lemaire is interested in the integration of Indigenous perspectives in school settings, especially in the French immersion and French immersion minority contexts; with language revitalization and language awareness being conceptualized as a pathway to reconciliation.

Webpage: https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/lemaire

Riplea Lothian is a Métis educator currently teaching Grade 5 and working on Indigenous language revitalization. She has been working on three language revitalization projects; doing her work as a Métis woman from the community of Lac Ste. Anne. Riplea uses drama, storytelling, and song to educate her students on the importance of being a proud Metis and to teach them Metis history, culture, and language. Riplea completed a degree in Political Science and Indigenous Studies followed by an After-degree in Education. Riplea is passionate about teaching in inner-city and low-income communities and believes that all students can succeed given the opportunity.

Athena McKenzie is Métis, connected to the Lac Ste. Anne Métis and the Michelle Band that used to have reserve lands around Calahoo, Alberta. She was raised with a strong connection to her Métis roots and has passed this on to her two daughters. She is actively involved in the Lac Ste. Anne community and was able to buy back some of the land her ancestors lost throughout history. She currently works in the education system supporting educators to teach students about Métis people as accurately as possible.