Métis Nation of Alberta President, Audrey Poitras is one of the highest profile Métis women in Canada. Audrey was elected as the first female President in 1996, becoming the longest-serving President of the MNA. This is a strong statement that displays the trust and leadership she has gained. Audrey has been a strong advocate for Métis rights and will continue to move the Métis rights agenda forward with the help of the Daniels Supreme Court decision in 2016. President Poitras successfully negotiated partnerships with colleges and universities, for Métis Endowment funds of 22 million. She also oversaw the creation of the MNA's Rupertsland Institute, Métis Centre of Excellence, which is a unique partnership with the University of Alberta promoting education, training and Research. Audrey is recognized within Alberta as a leader who is committed to helping build a better economic future for the Métis Nation. She has been supportive in developing business relationships, which has included the establishment of a business vendor database that has helped open doors for Indigenous people's involvement in the natural resource sector. In September 2003, as Interim President of the Métis National Council, Audrey Poitras announced to the world, "We won! We won!" when the Supreme Court of Canada made its historic ruling in R vs. Powley, a landmark case which affirms Métis as Aboriginal people with rights protected by the Constitution. One year later, in 2004, President Poitras completed negotiations and signed the historic Interim Métis Harvesting Agreement with Alberta, which is the first agreement in the country to deliver harvesting rights to Métis. In April 2004, Audrey represented the Métis Nation at the historic Canada Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable attended by more than 20 federal cabinet ministers and 70 Aboriginal leaders from across the country. Sitting alongside the Prime Minister and other national Aboriginal leaders, Audrey affirmed the Métis Nation's commitment towards a Canada-Métis Nation Framework Agreement. President Poitras witnessed the signing of the Framework Agreement on May 31, 2005 during the federal Policy Retreat on Aboriginal issues in Ottawa. In 2005, Audrey was honoured to learn that she was being named in CBC's The Alberta 100, and Alberta's 50 most influential people by Alberta Venture magazine. In 2017, Alberta Chamber of Resources selected Audrey as the 2016 Indigenous Leader of the Year. The award is designed to honour Indigenous leaders dedicated to advancing the cause of their people while building bridges with the resource sector. She has also received numerous awards and achievement milestones throughout her leadership, including a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. One of Audrey's greatest achievements, in the preservation of Métis culture, history and language was the creation of Métis Crossing, a multimillion-dollar cultural interpretive site, along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River near Smoky Lake, Alberta. Métis Crossing has proved to be not only a smart business choice, but one that will remain for a long time to come. Under her leadership, the MNA continues to be a model of success in representing and pursuing the social, political, and economic interests of the Métis people in Alberta. The credibility of the MNA continues to increase, as evidenced by activities over the past 21 years with Audrey Poitras at the helm, where the legitimacy and accountability of the MNA has risen to unprecedented heights. Currently she lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
Achievements and Awards
Appreciation Award, University of Alberta. School of Native Studies 1998
