Governance
The MIKI'SIW Métis Association is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors, with various terms as can be found in the By-laws of the Society. The Board is elected at the Annual General Meeting which is held in the fall of each year.
By-laws and Constitution of the Association can be accessed below. Should any member of the organization wish to attend a board meeting please contact the office at 250-871-7353 or email comoxvalleymetisoffice@gmail.com
2022-23 Board of Directors
Tom Adams - President
I am currently the President of the MIKI’SIW Métis Association. I have been involved in the Association at different levels since 2009. I was born in Campbell River and left for a while but returned in 1995. I served in the Navy for 25 years. My Métis heritage is Cree/Métis from Manitoba. My Great Grandfather lived in the Red River Settlement. My goals for serving on the Board of Directors is to be a integral part of a thriving Métis Community, which as a Board we work towards every day.
Chrys Sample - Vice President
I was elected to the Board as Secretary in December 2020, As of October 2022 I have moved into the Vice-President Position. I moved to Comox in 2016, from the Sunshine Coast. I worked at the hospital for 34 years, as a Food Service Supervisor, in the Finance department and in the Staffing office. I grew up in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and my Métis roots go back to the Red River Settlement. I'm happy to be part of this Board and my hope is to help with programs that will benefit our Métis Community.
Michelle Hamilton - Secretary
I am honoured to serve as the secretary for the MIKI’SIW Métis Association, my goal is to help support the work of the Association and our Métis community. I learned of my Métis heritage just a few years ago and I have applied for citizenship with the Métis Nation of British Columbia. My new found Métis heritage and being a part of a local Métis Chartered Community means a lot to me. I am grateful for this opportunity to be part of our larger Métis family.
Brad Dillen - Treasurer
I have been a MNBC and MIKI’SIW member since 2018. I am an Islander since birth living in Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Victoria and now live in the Comox Valley with my wife Jen and our pets since 2002 and we are avid skiers, cooks and gardeners.
I have a BSc in Earth Science from UVIC and 27yrs in project management in Forestry, Survey Mapping and Mining with the last 12 years as Capital Projects Finance Controller.
My Métis heritage is through my Paternal Grandmother with family name of Plante that were French and Cree eventually homesteading in Athabasca and were even distant cousins with Louis Riel! My non-Métis Maternal Grandmother was a librarian, author and avid genealogist who found my Métis heritage much more fascinating than her own and travelled to do research and study church records and archives. Our Métis family tree pedigree charts are almost 20 pages going back to the 1620s and she left me dozens of boxes of charts, records, maps and correspondence. I would like to see our local Métis Community continue to develop and thrive with opportunity to learn and enjoy our culture with and from those who would share their knowledge and experience. My contribution to that vision is to provide time, effort and enthusiasm to build an association that can support our members and deliver those opportunities.
Lauren Dean - Director
I have been part of the Association since 2017. My interest in leadership and community development at an early age as an air cadet and continued on as a reserve officer in the Canadian Cadet Organization into adulthood. I have over a decade of business development, marketing, and communication experience and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree that will assist me in being an active member of the Board of Directors. My passion is in empowering Indigenous people to share their stories, culture, and knowledge with the world.
Nick Brady - Director
Chair of the Governance Committee
I work for the Canadian Coast Guard as an Electronics Systems Technologies. I am a Transport Canada delegated Ships Radio Inspector and bring knowledge of interpreting various pieces of linked legislation. I also have experience with other non-profits. I have been a MIKI'SIW member since spring of 2020. I only recently learned of my of Métis heritage, after the death of my grandmother. I've managed to trace my genealogy back to Oak Lake, and Fisher North Dakota, and currently have my Citizenship Application into MNBC. Everyday I learn more about my heritage and enjoy sharing it with my young children. I hope to be able to assist in any matters of governance planning, as well as learning as much as I can from our elders and ensuring that knowledge is passed onto future generations.
Milt Swain - Director
I am originally from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. I moved to Vancouver Island in 1972 and specifically to the Comox Valley in 1995. I love sports of any kind. I served in the Military for two years and experienced many jobs before settling into my career as a firefighter in Campbell River, where I stayed for 27 years. I retired in 1998 and became involved with the local Métis Association in the late 1990's. I feel like I can bring my experience to serve the Métis Association Community.
Shauna MacLennan - Director
Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee
I am a finance consultant and an AirBnB host. We moved to the Comox Valley in 2018 from Alberta and I joined the MIKI’SIW Métis Association in 2019.
My Métis Heritage is through my Paternal Great Grandparents who were from the St. Andrews / Red River Settlement. My objective as a director are to support our current members, grow our membership, and to educate both our members, and the public.
Myrna Logan - Director
Women's Representative and MIKI'SIW Program Coordinator
I an honored to serve my Community by being the Women's Representative and part time staff for the Association. I moved to the Comox Valley in 2019 and have been a member of the Association since I arrived. I was a President of my former Métis community, so I have a good understanding of the challenges and operations of the Chartered communities of the Métis Nation of BC. My Métis heritage was not something that was highlighted during my childhood as my Métis father passed away when I was only 6 months old. I was able to enjoy and learn about the Métis ways through my aunts and uncles, who used to play music along with my dad at dances in the Egg Lake area in Alberta. They all played, my dad played the banjo and the fiddle. I am a descendant of Cuthbert Grant. I hope to assist our organization in educating the public about who the Métis people are and give the Métis people of the Comox Valley more opportunities to experience cultural activities through events.
Our Respected Elders - Jo Loukes and Bryce Mercredi
These Elders attend our Board Meetings and help to guide the Board of Directors
as they serve the Members and the Community.
Jo Loukes
Bryce Mercredi
Founding Member