Michael Evans is a professor of Anthropology in the Department of Community, Culture, and Global Studies at UBCO. He has been involved in several community based research initiatives, and in particular has a long-term relationship with the Prince George Métis Elders Society. He has also worked extensively with colleagues at the Métis Nation of British Columbia on a number of research projects dealing with historic and contemporary Métis communities in BC, some of which are discussed in this volume. Together with Elders and community leaders in Prince George he put together a Métis Studies curriculum for UNBC and a number of publications including What it is to be a Métis (Evans et al 1999, 2007), A Brief History, of the Short Life, of the Island Cache (Evans et al 2004). He has also worked on a number of participatory video projects with collaborators from the Métis community and videographer and new media artist Stephen Foster. He is also involved in a number of active research projects concerned with Cultural Safety and Aboriginal health, especially in the Urban Aboriginal and Métis communities in Canada.

Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) continues to develop a legitimate and accountable governance structure that truly represents the Métis communities and socio-economic issues confronting 59 445 (source 2006 Census) Métis people in British Columbia. MNBC was created in 1996 and was formally incorporated as the Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia (MPCBC). In 2003 the Métis leadership ratified the Métis Nation British Columbia Constitution thereby establishing a new Métis Nation governance structure. Since 2003 the Métis Nation British Columbia leadership has implemented a number of institutions of governance such as the Senate, Métis Nation Governing Assembly, Youth representation, Women’s representation, and an objectively verifiable citizenship process. Presently MNBC has established three levels of Métis Nation Governance; thirty-seven Métis Charter Communities throughout the province, seven Regional Governance Councils, and the MNBC Board of Directors. The development of this Métis Nation governance model has enabled the MNBC to expand and directly impact programs and services provided for Métis people throughout British Columbia. MNBC delivers a variety of programs and services ranging from employment and training, education, health, youth advocacy, plus several others.

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Métis, history, governance, British Columbia, Métis Nation, Métis people, guide book