Métis in the Federal Government

By Janelle Poiron, 2nd year MDP student

Tansi! My name is Janelle and I’m Métis from the Red River here in Winnipeg Manitoba!

I’m a second year student undergoing my last field placement before I graduate in the fall! This year I’m with Government of Canada in the Public Health Agency of Canada in Equity Analysis and Policy Research team.  

Though I’m located in Winnipeg Manitoba our headquarters are in Ottawa Ontario with colleagues all across the country! I have two main projects throughout my summer term:

1.      Looking at Métis health indicators and their inequities 

2.      Performing a literature review on Indigenous Peoples off-reserve health priorities and needs

I’m really happy to be working in health as that’s always been one of my goals. My projects this term have also coincidentally lined up with many of my interests. Being Métis myself, I’ve always been fascinated by the health inequities plaguing our communities so having an opportunity to work towards health equity is important to me. The literature review which looks at off-reserve Indigenous populations is equally important so that we can get a sense of gaps in our off-reserve relations.

So far, I’ve really enjoyed the work and my team! While it can be a struggle to connect with new colleagues virtually we recently started having a virtual social event so that we can get to know each other. I feel like this really added value to my placement as it focuses on connection and relationships.

I’m looking forward to finishing my last two months then who knows what the future holds!

Meegwetch!