Metis Voices Radio, August 8, 2008
Kelly LHirondelle of Cree/Métis decent. He is a strong advocate for the right to self-determination of Aboriginal Peoples. Kelly has been a dedicated Urban Aboriginal advocate for over ten years. Kelly was the Leadership Network Coordinator for the Vancouver Coastal Aboriginal Planning Committee but now is the founder and current Interim Executive Director of KAYA, (Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Association). Kelly is also the founder of the Urban Aboriginal Youth Governance Initiative for United Native Nations, (UNN). Kelly has served as National representative for the BC Association of Friendship Centres and was the Vice President of the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship centre for two years. Kelly is also a board member for the Centre for Native Policy Research and the Native Education College. Through this Kelly advocates for Aboriginal representation, particularly as it relates to providing a voice for Aboriginal involvement in decision-making processes. Kelly understands that Urban Aboriginal people are isolated from mainstream community and are minimally involved in major public policy venues. He knows that this paradigm can change through advocacy, youth mentoring and best practice skill development. Recently Kelly has been engaged at the local, provincial, national and international levels speaking at the UN in Africa and New York for the right to self-determination and the involvement of Aboriginal youth leaders within the UN to further the aspirations and recognition of the rights of Aboriginal Peoples at the international level. Kelly was instrumental in advocating for the Native Education College to keep its doors open by holding community meetings and helping to organize a protest against its closure. Kellys life passion is for Aboriginal communities to be empowered through their own means.
Kelly has helped spearhead an Aboriginal youth governance strategy in policy development for this province. He believes that grassroots communities should be the experts giving input into processes that are supposed to provide services for them. This voice is critical if the process of change is to have any relevance. He appreciates that the perspective of others must be present in any process that makes good decisions. He realizes that this was the essence of the historical practice of consensus building within the decision-making structures of Indigenous societies.
Metis Voices Radio
In 1954, in Edmonton Alberta, Dale Rodney Haggerty was the fifth child Born, to parents John Haggerty, a Scottish immigrant and French Métis Mother, Georgina Villeneuve. The Haggerty’s moved their growing family to B.C. when Dale was just an infant and youngest at that time, his sister Teresa was born later in Vancouver where the family lived and worked most of their lives.
As President of the Society, Dale’s future hope and plans for the museum is to continue sharing the Métis culture as long as he is able and when he is ready to retire (which won’t be for a while yet), the museum will be placed safely in the hands of our future Métis generation who will continue to bring and present the Métis culture and history to all that would benefit and have an interest & now its time to reach to even more of our Aboriginal brother s & sisters across the world. Our very own internet talk radio show called 'Metis Voices Radio' every Friday night 8pm pst on station 2 . Dale is looking forward to your callins as he talks about Metis history and many other Metis programming.
