Success Stories

“I presently take Northern and Heritage Michif courses. I am married to a Métis man, I follow the culture. I have learned all about the culture, and I am passing it on to my grandchildren, so that they know who they are and where they come from….I’m an ELECT alumni, and I also teach classes in District 12 for Northern Michif.”

“Because of Rupertsland Institute and their post-secondary funding and all that they were able to do, I was able to pretty much go through school and to focus on my studies and not have to worry about anything more than that. That allowed me to excel, and I was fortunate enough to graduate one of the highest in my class, which really opened the door for me in the future.

And I’ve since been credited with a lot of firsts. Being the first Métis person to photograph Connor McDavid, the first Métis person to work [photography at] Elks games, and a lot I do owe to Rupertsland Institute.

That was a quick doorway that it opened for me…I have a feeling that if I wasn’t given that, I probably would have been working a struggling job and not been able to give my all in school. So I definitely owe a lot to Rupertsland and what they were able to do for me.”

“I just want to say a huge thank you to Rupertsland for the opportunity that I had to continue my education. I wouldn’t have been able to continue my education if it was not for the supports that I had. It allowed me to continue my journey as a Métis citizen, and to also contribute back to our Community. So currently, as person that works for Métis Housing, it helps everything I do on a daily basis….

I encourage other people to make sure that they look into that (RLI), to contribute to their future.”

“Rupertsland supported me in my education journey. I started school in 2012 and they helped me with my funding. The funding was so crucial to my growth as a person. I had the opportunity to go through school and to be able to leave without debt, which is such a benefit for any student.

I was so grateful to have the Nation itself and Rupertsland support me through my journey over the last 12 years of my life, not just in school. I’ve worked for the Métis Nation for many years, both at the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and the Métis National Council. Because of the support that I was given by the Nation and by Rupertsland, I’ve had the opportunity to support Métis women and Métis youth across not just Canada, but also internationally as well. I had the opportunity to go to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York twice, and support and advocate for Métis women and youth 2SLGBTQIA+ people. I’ve also had the opportunity to write a book called Stories of Métis Women: Tales My Kookum Told Me, where I had the chance to promote the stories of our women throughout the Nation, and none of that could have been done without the support that Rupertsland and the entire Métis Nation gave me throughout my life, especially as a youth, so I’m really thankful for that.”

“I’m studying Criminology at the U of A at the moment, and Rupertsland has helped me [with] the resume help program…I got a job [after] almost a year and a half just applying for jobs and applying for jobs and getting nothing back. And once I got my resume tweaked there, I got an interview at three places right away, and I’m still working the job that I got from the one of those three interviews today.

Another thing that’s really helped me is the the En Roo website, which is very, very nice, easy to use, very accessible. I think it works well on mobile too, which is really helpful. I don’t have to go on my computer every time I want to look for stuff. But I’ve applied for maybe seven or eight scholarships and bursaries, and hopefully I will hear something back. But either way, it’s made it really easy to keep track of all those awards that I’ve been applying for.”

“With the support of Rupertsland, I was able to study abroad for Luxury Marketing and Photojournalism in Italy. The highlight of my studies was test driving a Lamborghini through the wine vineyards under the bright blue sky. What a dream.

This international experience helped me to imagine what is possible. It affirmed the value of self-determination and economic sovereignty. In 2023, I founded The Good Place with a mission to strengthen the Indigenous community and empower others on their healing journey. This is achieved with my ribbon skirt workshops, cooking classes, and kayak tours.

My aspiration is to see more Indigenous women in business leadership roles. The fuel to be excellent is the prayers of my ancestors and hope of a bright future for my children and the generations to come. Thank you so much Rupertsland for your incredible support.”