BIGGER THAN ME PODCAST
Get inspired by people who make a difference bigger than themselves with host Aaron Pete. From overcoming obstacles to finding motivation, these guests will inspire you to dream bigger and strive for greatness!
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BIGGER THAN ME PODCAST
156. Colette Trudeau: Strategies on How to Build a Strong Team
Aaron Pete sits down with Colette Trudeau to discuss how to build strong teams, leadership strategies, and fostering a healthy workplace culture. They delve into Colette's deep connection to her Métis heritage and her passion for music, underscoring the importance of cultural awareness.
Colette Trudeau is a Métis singer-songwriter and the CEO of Métis Nation British Columbia, known for her leadership in advancing Métis culture and rights, as well as her diverse music career spanning rock to EDM.
When We Die Talks explores life’s biggest question: what happens when we die?
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Welcome back to another episode of the Bigger Than Me podcast. Here is your host.
Colette Trudeau:Aaron.
Aaron Pete:P. Today I'm speaking with the CEO of Métis Nation, british Columbia. We talk about Indigenous people in Canada, reconciliation and the impact good leadership can have. My guest today is Colette Trudeau. Colette, it is such an honor to sit down with you today. I have been fascinated by the leadership that you've shown through Métis Nation BC. But before we get into things, would you mind first just briefly introducing yourself?
Colette Trudeau:Sure. So Tansi, dinesh Nakashu and Colette Trudeau. Hello, my name is Colette Trudeau, a proud citizen of Métis Nation, british Columbia. My family is originally from Manitoba, with roots that go right across the Northwest, and I have been in BC all my life. I'm a mom of a four-year-old and really proud to serve my nation as the Chief Executive Officer of Métis Nation, british Columbia.
Aaron Pete:Fantastic. I'm going to pull us all the way back to the very beginning. You've shared this story and I've had the opportunity to hear it. I think it's emblematic of many of the challenges Indigenous people face across Canada, which is this deep disconnect from their culture and their understanding. Would you mind sharing how you discovered your Métis ancestry?
Colette Trudeau:Yeah, happy to. And it's a story I really like to share because it speaks to the experience of a lot of Métis people. And so I was eight and I was in elementary school and I was approached by an Aboriginal support worker and they said hey, did you know you're Indigenous? And it's a really interesting way, now that I reflect back on it, how to learn that you're an indigenous person. So I remember going home and speaking to my mom and I said hey, mom, I hear I'm indigenous. She goes go speak to your dad. So I speak to my dad. Dad, I hear we're indigenous, you need to go speak to your grandma. So I call my grandma and I was on the phone with her. She kept saying no, no, no, we're not indigenous.
Colette Trudeau:And I always say I'm pretty sure I was really persistent because finally she caved and said okay, we're Métis, but you're going to tell everybody we're French, canadian. Okay, we're Métis, but you're going to tell everybody we're French-Canadian. And so I knew I was Métis, but there really wasn't that connection. And even as I grew up and even through high school, the only time I ever got to experience my culture truly was through attending different events that I would get to experience through high school. But as I connected into my community and I really do say I was very, very lucky to actually get a job with Maintenance in British Columbia. I was 23 and hired as the director of youth and was still on that journey of really learning about who I am and learn about my culture and my history.
Colette Trudeau:And I always express so much gratitude to our chartered communities across the province because that is really how I was able to learn about my Métis culture, our story, my family story and you know, always really proud to say that when, just before my grandmother passed away, you know she had really become proud of who she was as a Métis person. And I think that's such an amazing thing because I hear the story so often how young people are bringing that pride back to their families. They're doing that revitalization work that is really really important in our communities and so I was happy to do that for my grandmother. I remember the story of her.
Colette Trudeau:So I was heading to Batoche for Back to Batoche days for the very first time and out of nowhere, as I'm just getting to the airport, my, my grandmother was there to see me off and I still remember to this day her saying how proud she was of me for reconnecting our family to our, our Métis culture. And I remember taking photos. I went into the cemetery because I have family members who fought and died in the Battle of Batoche and so actually being able to go into the cemetery, take photos of our family members and share that with her. When I got back, she was, you know, there was a lot of pride there.
Aaron Pete:Can you describe a little bit more of the Battle of Batoche?
Colette Trudeau:You know there was a lot of pride there. Can you describe a little bit more of the Battle of Batoche? Yes, it was. You know the Métis people have been displaced over and over and over again and you know we had found community, that sense of community in Batoche, and Canada was busy colonizing Canada and we're trying to move our people along as they do. And I remember Elder Maria Campbell sharing that the Battle of La Tosh was really the battle of the old men. There was a lot of older Métis men who went and fought while they sent the younger Métis men to leave because we went to battle against Canada to prevent them from moving us again, moving another community westward.
Colette Trudeau:And we had many Métis people fall in that battle and you know there's so many stories about how we were impacted. There's, you know, the story of the Bell of Batoche and what had happened with that during the battle, where the bell was stolen. You know, going back to Batoche, there's now it's now a park and a museum where you can go and learn about Métis history. You see where our Métis fighters were hiding, in different bunkers. Some of those are still there.
Colette Trudeau:And I would say when you get onto the land in Batoche, you immediately feel that connection to our story, that heartbreak of families having to fight to be together and have that community. And so there's so much more to the story and I'm really just hitting the tip of the iceberg. But so many families were impacted and that moved so many families westward again to try and find that sense of community. We often hear about Métis families that moved to different communities, as they moved west, as being those lighthouses and letting other Métis families know you can come here, this is a safe space for you to come and live. But we were always a mobile people. We would go and we'd move to different areas, set up trapper's tents or teepees and we would do our harvesting activities and we would always move, but always as community, as one community of people.
Aaron Pete:Within the Stolo culture we have this word, Tomiuk, which means to look back seven generations and forward seven generations. What did it mean to you to find out about that lineage and what your people stood for?
Colette Trudeau:It meant a lot. You know, for me it means everything. It means, you know, when I get to look back, it means I actually get to tell the story, because my grandmother was never comfortable sharing that story. And that's why I'm really grateful for our communities now, because they're the reason why I know my story. I meet different family members through the kinship ties of hey, are you a Hamlin, are you Vandell, are you a Carrier, are you a Beaudry? And so being able to connect to our families and learn that story, it means that I can then share that story. Those stories aren't lost and as we share that amongst our families, we continue to ensure that our culture, our history, stays alive. And I remember talking with some youth who said when they finally found community after having their Métis culture go underground within their families, they said I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. And now that I'm with my Métis community, I know I belong and that's so important. And I would say that you know that sentiment is true for myself and I would say that you know that sentiment is true for myself.
Colette Trudeau:But as I look forward, I have a four-year-old daughter and she gets to grow up knowing she's Métis. And well, you know we'll go out. She sees a jigging troop and I can't keep her near me. She just she wants to go out there, like she feels the fiddle, which is amazing. And you know I, when we're out at community events, she'll. She'll look at me. She's like mommy, I'm Métis and I yes, baby, you are Métis, and it's about knowing that. You know I'm contributing to her being really proud of who she is, and that's that is what's most important to me is making sure she has a healthy, safe, strong community and nation to connect to. That means everything to me.
Aaron Pete:There's a version where you aren't persistent and you don't follow up with your grandmother and you don't ask those questions, and maybe this whole path of your life goes differently. You reflect what made you persistent in that moment.
Colette Trudeau:I don't like to hear no, if I'm being honest and it's not, you know, I think really it's wanting to connect, the why. Why would somebody come and say something to me if it wasn't true? And I'm grateful that I'm persistent. Do I remember exactly what I said to my grandmother? Absolutely not. I don't remember. But our story would look different, our family story would look different, and maybe down the road I would learn that I was Métis but still not know how to connect to that, and I'm grateful for the community that I have been able to connect with the stories, the language, all of those pieces. But you know, I actually had this conversation with other Métis folks whose families went underground, and then we also get into a conversation well, am I indigenous enough, am I Métis enough to now start exploring that part of me? Well, if you're authentic and it's something that you're interested in and that you connect to, yes, and so that's the important piece.
Colette Trudeau:We have to acknowledge what happened. What happened was our families were safer going underground. My family specifically went underground because my grandmother's cousins were all going to residential school and my grandparents didn't want to see my grandmother and her sisters go to residential school, and so they're French Canadian. My grandmother spoke this very broken French so saying French-Canadian was a bit easier for them. But there's still the impacts and I spoke with family members who had connected with family members who did go to residential school and the impacts on our family who did go to residential school and the impacts on our family and even the impacts on my grandmother and her siblings and based on even having to go underground and not going to res— you're still being assimilated at the end of the day, whether you go to residential school or you're going underground. That ultimate goal is to assimilate and that's what happened to so many families.
Aaron Pete:I need to assimilate to be safe the reason that I find that moment so interesting is because I do think we have a bad habit of underestimating young people and what they're gaining, and we were just talking before we started that oftentimes you get something out of a conversation that's not always clear, and so I'm just thinking about the idea that maybe there was some trepidation when she said no, maybe there was some hesitation that the Aboriginal support worker didn't show that you saw that there was a thread that needed to be pulled on, and the consequence of pulling on that thread is your ability to bring those two generations back together and to revitalize the culture, and so it's not an insignificant moment. It's actually one of the most significant moments when you think about the downstream effects.
Colette Trudeau:Absolutely. Like I said, I'm grateful that you know I had that conversation because I don't know what the trajectory of my life would be otherwise. I mean I'm sitting here, you know, really honored, and to be in service to my nation every single day. That brings me so much purpose and you know, I'm sure there are many different things that I could be doing with my life, but there is nothing more purposeful to me than to do that work, that connection work, bringing pride to our nation and to, you know, ensure that folks know that.
Colette Trudeau:You know our nation has all these different stories where we have folks who you know were able to grow up in Métis communities, or folks whose family went underground, or folks who knew but needed that additional connection to community. And all those stories matter. And we, you know, as we come together as a community of people, we get to share those stories and I love that. You know storytelling is so important and I love that you know storytelling is so important and as I sit with our elders and hear their stories, then I get to bring that forward into the future. It's an honor to be able to be in this type of role to help connect people to the nation.
Aaron Pete:It really is, we're going to take a detour now.
Colette Trudeau:Yes.
Aaron Pete:We have to talk about the music for you. Yes, would you mind telling us about how that came about for you?
Colette Trudeau:I've loved to sing since I was very young. First concert I ever performed concert was in a park, singing Mr Sun, and I still remember that performance to this day, and so I loved to sing all my life. I wanted to be Celine Dion, or I wanted to sing in Andrew Lloyd Webber's different operas, I wanted to be Christine in the Phantom of the Opera, anyways. But you know what? I also grew up watching a show called Power Hour with my dad. So it was all this rock music, acdc and a bunch of bands like that. Anyways, I love music. My dad played guitar and my uncle played drums just part of who I am and so I pursued music, going and performing at different festivals as a young person. And one day my sister was actually working at a restaurant, ran into Biff Naked and her manager and his daughter, who was actually a friend of mine in high school manager, and his daughter, who was actually a friend of mine in high school, and we connected the dots that I was a singer, she played bass but wanted to start playing guitar. And not too far after that, we started an all-girl rock band called Live On Release and at the age of 15, I released well, we released our single I'm Afraid of Britney Spears no, I am not afraid of Britney Spears anymore and we toured North America and it was a wonderful experience, but also a really challenging experience.
Colette Trudeau:As a young person, and even through the challenges that came with being in that band, I continue to love music. So I actually have done everything, from rock to country music to EDM, and I love everything. So I have had an opportunity to perform, you know, at big country festivals, had an opportunity to perform at big rock music festivals and have been able to DJ in front of, you know, thousands of people performing my music and love to write songs and sing and perform, and so it's just, it's a big part of me and I'm grateful for every opportunity that came with that as well. I got to perform in 2010 at the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards, which was awesome. I was nominated for Best Rock Album. I didn't win, but it was still a very, very cool experience and such an amazing place to be and connect to all the different Indigenous artists and groups across Canada. It was something I was really proud to be a part of.
Aaron Pete:What lessons do you think you took away from that work and those experiences?
Colette Trudeau:Well, I've had to have a lot of resilience. There's been a lot of ups and downs in music. You're put in really challenging positions and you get to choose where your ethics lie, and I have very high moral standard, and so that was something that came out through all of those really challenging times, and you know not letting a bad situation prevent you from pursuing something that you love. Also, not letting people who are trying to take you down stop you from doing what you're doing, because you, you know the the number of you know, having to have a lawyer at 17, having to get you out of a music contract is not, is not something that many young people have to go through.
Colette Trudeau:Or you know, there's there are so many transferable things that you know. There are so many transferable things that you know have really brought me into a place where, without all of those experiences, I wouldn't be who I am today, and so I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for all the times I got really, really nervous and still got on stage, like I'm really proud. It really built me in a way where, yeah, I've been able to really bump up against adversity and see the other side of it, and so, yeah, I would say, that probably covers it Okay.
Aaron Pete:So then, after that, do you start to look at joining Métis Nation and pursuing that path, or is there a chapter in between that?
Colette Trudeau:and pursuing that path, or is there a chapter in between that? Oh no, I did it all. I never stopped. So my husband always says how proud he is of me, and I didn't really have an opportunity to market my album at the time. But essentially in 2020, I had my daughter and a week later, released my EDM album, and so I had been touring and working at MNBC, doing work all at the same time, and at the time, I had support from my direct supervisor to pursue my passion, and I remember, even when I was at the Indigenous People's Choice Music Awards, so many of my colleagues came out to see me perform, and so I've been very lucky to walk in both worlds and continue to do my music as well as follow another path. You know, follow a a another path that was very purposeful to me and continues to be.
Aaron Pete:Right School trustee was also another chapter that you were involved in. How did that come about? It sounds like it was driven by your want to support your child and be more involved in that process.
Colette Trudeau:Yeah, I had a really big interest in what is it like to be the political will to do good and I had joined another board. But there was an interest for me because I knew the challenges that Métis communities were having and connecting it with school districts and thought what a great opportunity to get involved in my own community and see if I can create positive change. And so I decided to run and was very lucky to have the support of my community and was elected, have the support of my community and was elected and spent four years bringing forward Indigenous perspectives but also being able to be a really strong voice for Métis student learners. And I loved my four years, even though you know two of those years were deep in COVID and experiencing, you know, those shifts that needed to happen within the school district. But it was really about being political will for good and I was able to bring that up to the BC School Trustees Association and be part of the Indigenous Education Committee School Trustees Association and be part of the Indigenous Education Committee.
Colette Trudeau:And what is something that I'm really grateful for is I was actually with a number of my colleagues just this past week and you know having them come up to me and say you know you taught me so much about the Métis community. I always think about that when I'm at the table. And how are we ensuring inclusion and how are we, you know, being thoughtful about all Indigenous learners? And you know to know that I made that impact. I would have ran again, but I knew when I was appointed as chief executive officer and decided also to pursue my master's, it probably wasn't something that I was going to do to the level that I would have wanted to, and I know there's really amazing people sitting at that table right now and I'm grateful for those four years and we'll see what happens in the future. But it was something that I'm really grateful that I had an opportunity to experience.
Aaron Pete:My understanding is that you were interim CEO to start with. I was Would you mind telling us about being invited to take on that position and what that initial moment meant to you?
Colette Trudeau:So one of our board members called me two days before to ask me what my career goals were, and I would say it was a very, very challenging time for me at that specific point in time. And I said, you know, I will step up if my nation needs me, and it was. You know, it was one of those times where you know you sit there and you say if I had the ability to make changes, I would do amazing things. So I always jokingly say it was my opportunity to show up and do it. And so it was when I accepted that call, that request, that my nation needed me.
Colette Trudeau:I remember I was vibrating for weeks, like physically vibrating, because it was challenging, it was a huge transition for staff, for myself, and there was a lot of complexities that were happening at the exact same time. And I'm actually really grateful that I was pursuing my master's at the same time. And the reason I say that is because during my first residency we were doing this exercise called alignment coaching and I was confusing humility with being small Right, with being small Right. And it was when one of my colleagues asked me through the alignment coaching, you keep saying big, this is big, is it too big for you and it was like this aha moment for me where I was like, no, it's not. No, I can do this. And it was this full mindset switch where I know I can do this. I know I can do really great things. It's going to take time, I need to be patient and I will be able to accomplish what I'm setting out to accomplish. And so it was big.
Colette Trudeau:However, it was something that you know I'm grateful. I took on, I'm grateful, that confidence because so many people you know experience that imposter syndrome but through some really good work, building trust with our board building. You know I had great relationships with community but continuing to build trust with our communities. I was then confirmed in September so six months later and then have been in the role for just over two years now and it has been a ride. We have amazing staff, we have an incredible board, we have incredible communities of volunteers and you know we are building the profile of Mayton Nation, bc and the province and nationally we're getting notice far more than we ever have. And I always say we had to clean up our house and now that I feel like we've done that, now it's time to make sure that we're sharing our story, sharing who we are, sharing what we're trying to do as a nation externally.
Aaron Pete:You have a very unique leadership style and I'm just wondering if you can reflect on the pieces from being a school trustee to being a musician. What pieces do you think you pulled in during those initial six months to lead?
Colette Trudeau:Well, I have had the opportunity to watch leaders that I looked up to, that I saw as mentors, and from doing music and being able to go and present and be on and not to say perform, because it needs to come from a really genuine place. But you know, you need to have that energy and you need to bring that forward and bring that story forward. And that takes that additional energy to get in front of people and make connections and build relationships. And so the relationship piece is so important.
Colette Trudeau:Being a trustee, being able to be involved in what is good governance, is something that I was able to also bring into this role, will bring into this role, and so having really strong mentors, having a very good example of what good governance is, and knowing how to bring that confidence, that energy into the work I'm doing, all, I believe, all helped set me up for success. But you know, I spoke about that leader, that role model that I had and you know, being able to watch her be the calm in the storm was something that I wanted to bring to the role, even in the interim capacity that I was in at the time. I wanted to be that calm Even if internally I was spiraling, because you know that happens, but I wanted to always be that calm. Let's take a balanced approach. Let's think about this and how we want to be seen, how we want to do things and role modeling, the values, the cultural values that I have and for me that was also important was leading with my values.
Aaron Pete:That's one of the pieces that I'm trying to get a better understanding of, because I see so many people in leadership roles that often either feel weighed down by the amount of responsibility that's on their shoulders or they're almost trying to fit in with the corporate structure that exists around them and, rather than bringing their own flavor, their own passion, their own energy to the position, they're more just trying to make sure that they check the boxes and the mission of the organization, the values, the culture that's supposed to guide them, isn't resembled in the person sitting at the helm.
Aaron Pete:And you see this across corporations, you see this in governments, that they're missing that piece. And when I think about your journey, it seems like the music background that you have, your ability to lead as a school trustee has given you the opportunity to almost sit in the chair and not look at it as a power position over other people, where so many people get lost in the like you. You started out as ceo and then you have envisioned yourself as being the ceo one day and you're going to have more authority and you're just going to have that more power and not necessarily how you would wield that or how you would create a good environment with that. That seems to be missing with other organizations that I see and I'm just curious do you notice that? Do you think a lot about those issues, and was that something that you brought in?
Colette Trudeau:Yes. So I said, you know, I've had an opportunity, I like watching people and I I like to learn from how they deal with with different situations, and so for for me, you know, I said earlier and I didn't say it this way but I'm like, ah, it's one of those situations you get into this type of role. If you're going to sit there and say I'm going, if I had the chance to do something, I would do things differently, and so you put up or you shut up is really the way that I talk about it, when I'm just talking about it. But I see so many leaders be like to get what I want. I'm going to bang on a table, I'm going to bring it to the media, I'm going to. You know, every single issue is going to be done in a certain way. I stepped into this role and the first thing I said we need to focus on is relationship, and I would just say, you know why maybe I lead differently is because I don't see myself as special.
Colette Trudeau:Being in this role Like I, I see it as a critical position that is in service to everyone else, everyone else. And you know I've also jokingly said I don't know why anyone ever really feels like they're super powerful as the CEO in different spaces? Because it's not about power, it's about lifting up other people and it's about ensuring. You know, it's not all my work. The work that we're doing is because of the incredible people that we have within MNBC. I think about things differently because we haven't ever had anyone who's thought about making MNBC different. We haven't had anybody who's thought about, you know, ensuring that our cultural values are at the center, have thought about making our policies human centric, have thought about, you know, focusing on community first, have thought about all of that good governance work that we've needed to do. And I don't think you can sit in these types of roles when you know that there is a bigger purpose than yourself and say I have a legacy and my legacy is going to be to leave something behind for them. This isn't about me and it's not about anybody else. It's about, you know, it's about my daughter. It's about other people's children having a strong, healthy nation to come home to, and so when I'm leading MNBC, I don't see that the power is in the work. It is not me, and so I don't think, you know, there's any specific thing. There's those values.
Colette Trudeau:Again, it comes back to leading with your values, and my value is humility. My values, you know, are accountability. My values are about the greater good, it's not about one person, and I think that that's what a lot of people get caught up in is. We're a success because of everyone, and so that's really how I approach the work, and I want to do things differently, and so, even through my master's capstone, it focused on embedding Métis cultural practice into the workplace. So how do we embed Métis culture into MNBC Recognize we have a diverse workforce of different folks who come from different worldviews, and how do we all come together in this workspace that's distinctively Métis but where everyone feels that sense of belonging?
Colette Trudeau:Because if everyone has that connection to our why, our purpose, people are going to do amazing things to support the nation, and I can't do that single-handedly. I need everyone on board, and so that's really how I approach this work. It's not about me, it's about us, it's about community, it's about leaving things better for future generations, and that's how I approach the work future generations, and that's how I approach the work.
Aaron Pete:How do you teach that and how do you hire four people like that? From my perspective, I don't know if I even like the resume cover letter process anymore, because so many people have degrees where I knew the people going through their degree. They didn't care, they didn't take anything away, they got C's all the way through and they graduated and they weren't connected to any of those courses, and so I don't feel like they're pulling a lot from the degree they invested time in, and so I'm hesitant to say you have a degree, so you know more and you're better at this than somebody without a degree. I'm hesitant to say you've worked at this place for five years, therefore you're going to be great at transitioning those skills, because you could have done a medium job for five years and not really put yourself into that. And so, hiring strategically, I feel like Métis Nation BC does have a good team. How do you make sure to not get lost in credentials and make sure that you hire based on values?
Colette Trudeau:Well, that's just it. We've really started focusing on how people see themselves and our cultural values. You know, I've thought a lot about our hiring process and how are we ensuring that we're asking really good questions to ensure alignment, really good questions to ensure alignment, because if people don't align with our culture, then they don't fit. And really, at the end of the day, you can have five PhDs and be, on paper, the most qualified person for the role, but at the end of the day, you need to align to our values. And the place where I'm wanting to eventually get to and it takes time is where I want us to do business in a different way, where people come and work for MNBC and they immediately feel the difference. We just do things differently and that's how we do it here. We do it grounded in Métis culture, we do it grounded in our values, and I want to build such a Métis government that people who do not align with our values then opt out, because those who align with our values are the people who are connected to the work, want to do the work, feel that purpose behind the work, and so that's really my focus is that how do we continue to embed and entrench those values, because I think values are everything.
Colette Trudeau:I've thought about this before.
Colette Trudeau:I was part of an interview panel for the Indigenous Youth Internship Program and I remember having folks who were done their degrees, folks who had not completed high school degrees, folks who had not completed high school, and I still remember those who were bringing forward their story, their lived experience.
Colette Trudeau:So many of them were so qualified and were the ones that I was saying we need to give these people a chance, because so often we miss out Western approaches to hiring the cover letter, the resume, the you have to have this credential or else we can't hire you, because it's our minimum requirement. It's not taking into consideration the lived experience and you know we're making that shift too, where we'll or you know, or equivalent, but there is a move to recognizing that lived experience that really does support the work. And so if you have strong values, if you're connected to the purpose, I think you find great people. But I do agree that there's such a shift where, if you are doing things only in this one way, you're only going to find these people. You need to dive deeper, you need to get to those values and that purpose to find alignment. So you know that, yes, you're growing a team of great subject matter experts, but that are also wanting to do this work because they know it's for the greater good, right, yeah?
Aaron Pete:Who are the Métis from your perspective?
Colette Trudeau:Who are the Métis from my perspective? Well, that is a big question and I know there's a lot of debate out there right now. From my perspective, it is the Métis people who came from the ethnogenesis that took place in historic Métis communities. So Red River, yes, but our story also moves westward, and so there was a specific time that ethnogenesis happened where we had the coming together of cultures to create one unique culture, nation heritage, and so I believe personally very much in the 2002 Métis National Council's definition of who is a Métis, and so that's what Métis Nation BC does as well.
Colette Trudeau:We make sure that anybody who is registered with Métis Nation, british Columbia meets the definition of being Métis as per the 2002 definition, because we then have our kinship ties. I'm able to say are you a Hamlin, are you a Vandell, are you a Beaudry, are you a Gladue? And I'm able to find those kinship connections. We are all connected within Métis Nation. We are not a mixed community, we are not European and First Nations. That's not who we are.
Colette Trudeau:And I love having conversations where people will say I'm Métis and then I'm like, oh, what's your background? And then also being that educator in those moments where someone says I'm Cowichan and Scottish, cowichan and Scottish. I'm like, okay, no, you're not, but let's talk about that, let's be proud of who you are and where you come from. But it's really that education of we are a distinct nation of people. We have our own language, culture, history and that is really important to me history, and that is really important to me to make sure that those who are of our nation belong to our nation and are recognized within our nation.
Aaron Pete:That seems like one of the challenges from my perspective I've seen take place is a reductionist view of Métis people. When we talk about Indigenous people generally, there's First Nations, inuit and Métis people and it seems like in common conversations Métis are somewhat reduced. Do you experience that and do you see that?
Colette Trudeau:I do, and I think a lot of that comes from a lack of understanding of who we are. A lot of people that I've had conversations with don't understand our history, don't understand that you know Métis people went to residential school. Métis people were part of the 60s scoop. We have those intergenerational pieces that happen and continue to impact our people and so, without that education and understanding that, you know, we have a shared history. Indigenous people have a shared history. We have unique experiences. We have unique, lots of uniqueness to who we all are. But there are shared experiences. And so you know, when I think about, you know, apologies for residential school or different recognition for people never been recognized or apologized to for their experiences. And I know Métis Nation, saskatchewan, is working really hard to advocate and bring that forward. Even at the United Nations Forum it was brought forward, and those elders are passing away without any acknowledgement of their experience. And so that's the hard piece is we.
Colette Trudeau:The Métis Nation has always been known as the forgotten people and we continue to be. But we've also, you know, always been very feisty. I'll characterize this as feisty. I'll characterize this as feisty, but we need to be better at sharing our story so that people know who we are and understand our history and understand the shared history, the times where, you know, first Nations and Métis would work together and support each other. We were the translators and in in many situations, and so you know, we were the ones who, you know, canada was scared we'd get, you know, first Nations riled up and not sign treaties.
Colette Trudeau:You know, we, we were those, those people and and we've gone into the shadows for for many different reasons, but but we are here and we are proud and we exist and we are living our culture, we are revitalizing our language, we are doing all of that work and you know, we're working really hard to close the socioeconomic gaps that need to be closed for Métis, people who are struggling because they continue to be forgotten in so many systems.
Colette Trudeau:And so I know the harm that comes with that, that denialism and, and you know, or feeling lesser than not Indigenous enough to be recognized, and and I know, I know a lot of harm has happened for families that have that. But I think, at the end of the day, it's it's those conversations, it's the education that that needs to happen and um, and I know, once those conversations happen, the, the, the story will turn and it will change Um. So it's really important that there is we don't do harm to one another, we lift each other up. There's so many areas where Métis people have really been a critical part of our history, and so I think it's important that we don't forget that.
Aaron Pete:This is the one piece I still, like I'm having my trouble wrapping my mind around, which is we talk about reconciliation of all of these past harms and atrocities that have taken place. One might want to find a rubric, an example of the best case scenario, and to me, métis people are that, when we talk about the beginning days of Canada, there was a convergence and a sharing of two distinct cultures to make one, and that's often argued. What Canada is is a place where you can come and share your culture and learn from other cultures and grow as a consequence. It seems like we would put the Métis communities forward as an example of that, and I'm just wondering why that hasn't happened from your perspective.
Colette Trudeau:I don't know. I you know again it's, it's a statement of the forgotten people. I agree with you. I mean I've heard elders refer to us, as you know, the true Canadians by you know, just by way of the ethnogenesis that happened through Canada's creation. But there are still so many harms and terrible things that came with that.
Colette Trudeau:And so saying true Canadians is not representative of you know, not being very much a center of colonialism, and I think you know it's a result of a lot of families going underground, it's a result of that assimilation that you're better to go underground than identify as Métis. There's such an amazing story there that is truly coming forward and as our communities become stronger, that story will come out and people will learn about us and about our contributions. But I think, you know, I think there's still a lot of time until we really get to that point, but I hope one day that the Métis are brought forward. As you know, this is a really critical part of our history. That is not just Louis Riel and not just Gabriel Dumont. We are so much more than that and we, you know, our communities and our culture is alive and well. Culture is alive and well, and so how do we share that more broadly and very clearly with the rest of the country?
Aaron Pete:Can you tell us about Métis culture for people who might just be learning about it and trying to understand?
Colette Trudeau:Yes, I can, and this kind of talks, the ethnogenesis. So when I think about jigging, jigging is our, our dance, and it's actually using a fancy step and Scottish dancing and it amalgamated into jigging, which is just this super fun, wonderful workout. But it's this energetic dance that you can't help but tap your toe or clap your hands. We have our Métis sash, which is distinctively ours, and it's made its way through to a contemporary approach where we have started to change the colors of our sash to represent different things, whether it's 2SLGBTQQIA+ or women's sash. We have really taken that into a contemporary place. But historically, we have our red sash, but it was not always that because we were incredibly poor. It was not always that because we were incredibly poor. So the sash would often be used for many different things, like if you hurt your arm, it'd be a sling, you would take a piece off if you needed to mend your clothing, and so on and so forth. We're known as the flower beadwork people, so beautiful beadwork was done by our grandmothers. But also we have so many Métis artisans who are reclaiming our material arts and it's wonderful. And for those who would like to see it, go and check out our Amelia Douglas Institute in Surrey. And we've done weaving, we've done the beadwork. There's so many wonderful material arts that Métis people have done and again has happened through the ethnogenesis from our grandmothers and from some of those European styles as well.
Colette Trudeau:We were hunters and trappers. We were very connected to the Northwest Company and the Hudson Bay Company and we were often known for our capotes, so they were made with the Hudson Bay blankets and they were very, again, distinctively Métis and so very proud of the capot which we would again tie with a sash. But there's just the beginning. We were voyagers. We were often helping people navigate tough terrain. Canada was being explored and as voyageurs we would often go in canoes and explore new areas. And yeah, really proud of our history and that is just high level.
Colette Trudeau:You know there is so much depth to our culture and Machif language, which is, you know, we have Northern Machif, southern Machif, french Machif. We have different dialects. We were the folks who were communicating with local nations and being those translators between, you know, settlers and different First Nations communities. That was our role and so that's our history. But again there is a culture that is alive and well now as well. That is, you know, proudly wear our beadwork proudly, wear our sash proudly, jig, and we have always, always been Otepemisawak. We have always governed ourselves Captain of the hunt. When we would go out to hunt bison or buffalo, we governed the way that we would do that on behalf of our communities. And so, yeah, that's just an important piece. Is that, métis? People have always loved governance, so it's the way we have had structured our communities.
Aaron Pete:What would you say to external stakeholders from municipalities, the province, the federal government? What would you say to them when they're considering sitting down at these tables, when they're considering learning more? How do we encourage people to learn more about Métis people?
Colette Trudeau:Talk to us. There's some really great books out there, but I would say experiential meeting the people, hearing the stories, is always the best way to learn about a people and connect with Métis Nation, british Columbia. We have 39 chartered communities across the province that are communities of people that are connected to our culture, heritage and language. How many citizens? We have over 25,000 registered citizens that meet the 2002 Métis National Council definition and you know again, really MNBC is providing great programs and services and supports and from housing to health, to education, child care. We are doing that work and bringing forward Métis voice in BC. And you know, I think what's really important is to recognize that Métis are distinct. You know I am not an advocate for a one-size-fits-all and so recognizing that everyone is distinct. But in doing that work around distinctions of different indigenous people, different nations, different communities, you need to speak to the people. You don't know better than the people. So come back to the people and so that would really be an important piece Recognize that not all language means the same thing to every nation as well.
Colette Trudeau:So I mentioned Ota Pemisawak people who govern themselves. Self-government to us means the ability to govern our people, and that's a really important piece. We're talking about being able to do that important work, to provide services and programs to people, to bring our children home. We have so many Métis kids in the child welfare system that, without being recognized for governing ourselves and governing our people that we can't bring home, that are caught in a system of assimilation Again, another system that is meant to take them away from their nation, and that is heartbreaking. And so learn about us, get to know us, find out what we're trying to do. Don't put a narrative on us without talking to us. That is so important. Recognize that if we're doing distinctions-based work, that we're actually doing distinctions-based work.
Aaron Pete:The only other area I'd like to ask about, and it's more of a provocative question and it's just around why does culture matter from your perspective? What have you seen the impact of culture have?
Colette Trudeau:I believe that culture is identity and I think it makes us who we are. And you know, for me culture is community and connection and identity. It is that knowing of who you are and where you belong, and I think that rings true for any culture that people are from. I think it's so beautiful when people embrace their different cultures and there's different values there, there's different lived experiences, and what I always find so amazing is, when we think about culture, there's also those abilities to connect culture and find the sameness and uniqueness as well. But it's identity.
Colette Trudeau:For me, being strong in who I am as a Métis person is such an important part of my life and it brings purpose, it brings grounding, it's just something, it's a way of being, and so I think it's an important part of being able to be true to yourself. Yeah, it's a lofty question because you know, if you really get down to it, it it's at the center of of who, who we are, and I think without culture I'm not saying this is true for everyone, but that that belonging that comes with culture you you have that sense of belonging, that place to be, that sense of community, and I think when people don't have that, it's easier to get lost and lose yourself.
Aaron Pete:I agree is that we see people who are struggling with overdoses, drug use, mental health crises, depression, anxiety and from what I gather just experientially knowing people who've been through that it just doesn't seem like they have a pillar to fall back on or a community to go to. I think one of the big pushes within Western culture is this idea of being independent. Go get your own house, go live your own life. Then go do whatever you want to do and it's not linked back to anything. And I think you can find that culture through religion, through community, in different ways. But that is often what safeguards you against some of those negative aspects. You can find community in doing sportsards you against some of those negative aspects. You can find community in doing sports. And this is some of the things when we talk about exercise, when we talk about community. These are some of the safeguards that can protect you against some of the heavy things you'll go through in your life. And you can't not have heavy things that you go through in your life, but you can have a support system in place that will help you get through those times. And I think the challenge when you have a word like culture is it can be underestimated, that people won't always understand the vast impacts it can have over a person's life, the resources that they need. When we talk about sending someone who's struggling with addiction to AA, you're basically telling them to go find a community that doesn't necessarily need to be that center for those people. There's different ways to find that community to help them get through these difficult times. And I think one challenge we face when we're trying to address all of these issues is we go to doctors and nurses and that immediate clinical care, which is absolutely important, but if you don't have that aftercare, if you don't have those community supports, if you don't have those resources, then the day they leave the hospital, the day they're done their medication, what is that next step for them to make sure that they're grounded?
Aaron Pete:And I also think culture can be a huge tool to ask people what does your full potential actually look like?
Aaron Pete:I think we stop asking people 16, 17, 18, that question, because once you're 20, you're starting to figure it out, or once you're 30, we're expecting you figured it out, and I don't think we've embraced this idea that you're different things through different chapters of your life and that's something to be embraced and not something to be underestimated, and so when I'd work as a native court worker, the question would be like where would you be if you could be anywhere, like if you had the life you wanted and it's usually not in the Bahamas, by yourself on a beach.
Aaron Pete:It's usually with their family back, connected with a loved one, being able to talk to their lost family member Like it's real things. It's that community that we're talking about, that culture that we're talking about, that becomes so key, and it seems like we need to find a different way to have those important conversations, because it's so easy to underestimate. Like I need to get access to the support systems, to the sense of community, to people who understand and respect where I'm coming from and who have similar understandings of their lived experiences, so that we can all rise up together and reach our full potential.
Colette Trudeau:The number of times I've heard culture has saved my life, I can't even count. And I absolutely agree. I mean, I love going back to our cultural ways. I think about being raised by a community of people. That is my daughter's upbringing. She is raised by a community of people. Yes, you know, mom and dad are at home, but I will tell you the moment she can go see her grandparents. She is thrilled and she will ask me how many days she gets to be there. Um, and, and you know I, when we go out into community, she, she gets to connect with different folks that are outside of you know, just our little family.
Colette Trudeau:And it's through knowing you have those connections that, regardless of you know what may happen to me, or you know my husband, my daughter has a culture, a community to connect back into, and I think that that's so important because we all need other places to go and to feel ourselves.
Colette Trudeau:And you know, yes, I would love to go to the Bahamas for a trip, but at the end of the day, I don't leave my community because I feel that sense of belonging. Number of them I know, I know of one young person who, you know, lived in BC, went to Saskatchewan to go to school and got involved in the Métis Nation Métis communities there, because that's that belonging, that's that community, those are the people that know who you are and can connect and so you know, no matter where we are. We're looking for those connections to our culture and I think that that's so important to find that sense of community, but also having again those lighthouses, those contemporary lighthouses. My community's there too. I can go there and connect in and I think that, you know, culture is, you know, as you were mentioning, it's just it's so connected to wellness.
Aaron Pete:What's one piece of wisdom or sage advice from the Métis culture that you're able to share?
Colette Trudeau:Hmm, hmm.
Colette Trudeau:Well, I don't know if it's specific to the Métis Nation, but it's the first thing that came to my mind and the first time I ever heard it, and I know it's a statement that's been made by others as well.
Colette Trudeau:But our elder Philip Gladue will often say that for this distance is from your head to your heart, and, recognizing that we so often get caught up in our own heads that we don't always think about the heart, he tells the story of you know. He wanted to connect to Métis spirituality and then when he came back, after talking to so many people, he recognized it was right where he was, and I guess that still connects back to culture, that identity, that knowing who you are. But really for me and again it's not specific to Métis there's so many amazing teachings and stories out in our community, but I would say something that really resonates with me right now is that let's move away from our heads, let's go back to our hearts, let's learn about each other, let's get out of the politics we're all very good at politicking. Let's get away from that and let's get back to that, that heart work, Cause there's so much good that can happen through unity and understanding that I would really love to see us get to Two more questions.
Aaron Pete:One, as we discussed, your leadership style is particularly unique in that it's focused on thinking for future generations, and I think that's one thing that when you think about the stock market, how our systems function, they're very short term. How do we support people individually and at a broader scale in thinking longer term?
Colette Trudeau:well, I think it's. There's so much that I've gained from people where I've just been able to watch them, and so I I don't think we put enough value in living your values, walking your talk. I think people are always watching, even if you don't know they're watching. People are watching, and I think that if you stay true to yourself, you never know who's watching. You never know who you're impacting, you never know whose mind is shifting because of how you're doing things in a different way. And so, again, it's that values connect.
Colette Trudeau:When people connect to your values. You know, when I see people who I'm like, I want to be like, that they don't know in that moment that I'm recognizing that strength and and, and so I really think we just need more, more leaders out there who are shifting their mindsets, and I think the way that happens is by seeing others who are making changes, seeing shifts in the way people are doing business or interacting with others, and are just watching that happen authentically. And so I can say, hey, think about future generations and the work that you're doing, and then go off and do something. That's the complete opposite, but I've told you that you should be thinking about that. Yeah, there's so much to be said about doing it, and maybe not always being aware that people are watching, but you make an impact by being authentic.
Aaron Pete:How can people follow not only your work, but Métis Nation BC's?
Colette Trudeau:Well, they can visit our website, mnbcca. Lots of great social media channels. Um, we have uh the may tea, which is uh ran by our communications team. They do a wonderful job of sharing great events and programs. Um even did a recent one on on um some words that you know, I don't, I don't use, like what's the T mean? Or I don't know, I don't even know all those words. Now I'm aging myself, oh gosh. But our social media channels are full of cultural information as well as stories from our communities. For myself, I'm on LinkedIn and I'm on Facebook and other channels, but to connect professionally, linkedin's the way to go. Otherwise you're just getting photos of my daughter.
Aaron Pete:Perfect. Collette, thank you for being willing to share your time. I think there's a lot to be learned from other cultures and when we get into, how do we actually utilize that and lead in that style? I think you set an amazing example on how that difference can look and how it can impact others in how they choose to lead. So I think that's really inspiring and really important, because I think sometimes we forget one person can make a difference and it's important to remind others of that. So thank you for sharing your time.
Colette Trudeau:Thank you, Aaron.
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