User:Gnaparicio/Kikino Metis Settlement

Geography
Kikino Metis Settlement is one of the 8 nations of the Metis Settlement. This settlement is located in Smoky Lake County in the Eastern province of Alberta, Canada. The Metis settlement is about 512,121 hectares and Kikino is the smallest community within the settlement with only 44,000 hectares of land. The closest lake to the Kikino Metis Settlement is Cold Lake, Alberta. This settlement was home to about 934 people in 2016 and it does not pass a population of 1,000 people. Resources such as gas and oil, along with fishing can be found from the land of the settlement. Kikino, along with the other settlements in Metis function as their own individual town or city and have their own schools, post office and other buildings.

History
The Kikino people were said to started as a whole with the Metis community and their early life takes place in the Great Lakes region, but as European settlements expanded, they moved upwards to where they are now. In their early life, prior to the 8 communities established, it was only a separation of two Metis groups. It was the French Metis and Anglo Metis. Eventually those distinctions developed into twelve different communities then fell down to 8.

The First major act that effected Kikino, at the time known as Goodfish Lake, was the Dominion Lands Act. This act gave lands to settlers expanding West. However this excluded the Metis up until the late 1870s.

The Metis Settlement was created from the Métis Population Betterment Act of 1938. This act was passed by the Alberta government, due to the poorly structured living conditions that the Metis people were living in. The Metis people were already living on this land, they just did not have their own governance of this land. The act made it so the Metis Settlement was able to form their one government and this was said to eventually lead to an improvement of living conditions for the Metis First Peoples. The struggles that the Kikino people faced was that they were struggling to live up to the standards of the West's living standards. This act also allowed for the preservations of culture and a way to allow traditions to live on. The Betterment Act did not give complete control over the Metis land, but it gave them a little bit more than what they previously had.

The Metis Population Betterment Act established 12 colonies within the Metis Settlement. Kikino was previously known as Goodfish Lake, but later adopted Kikino which means "our home". The settlement was said to have chosen Kikino as a means to demonstrated what the Betterment Act meant to the community as a whole, since the First Peoples struggled with self identity. The land that was granted to them was theirs and they did not have very much built in the area, therefore they were able to have a clean slate.

The Act was later revisited because the Metis Settlement did not solve all of the problems that the Metis settlements were concerned about, it only allowed them to exist as their own settlement. Eventually in 1952 after the Betterment Act was reivsited, they were allowed to elect board members and they gained control of their business. By 1960, out of the 12 original communities, only 8 of them conitnued to be a part of the Metis Settlement. Kikino remained one of the 8.

Silver Birch Rodeo & Celebration Days

 * Silver Birch Rodeo is a yearly event during the community's Celebration Days, usually hosted in August. There are usually anywhere from 2-3 days to celebrate this event and they have activities such as bull riding, cow riding, wild horse racing and other rodeo events. In several news outlets, it is said that the event is becoming extremely popular that it will eventually have to move to a bigger area to host the event. Other events that Kikino are involved in or host are the Slo-Pitch Tourney and the Metis Triathlon.

Culture
Kikino culture is a mixture of First Nation’s traditions but also European culture from the time that they were going through assimilation. The reason this settlement, along with the rest of the Metis settlements, fought for their own land and right of governance was because of the struggles they were facing when adapting to Western life. There is no real timeline of when the Metis settlements shifted from French Metis to Anglo Metis. Even in the Metis right declaration, they acknowledge that they are forever tied with Canadian history and lineage.

Language
In the Kikino settlement, English is predominantly spoken. Other languages spoken also include “mother tongue” languages which are the Aboriginal, Cree-Montagnais, Cree, Northern Athabaskan languages, and Dene. Michif is also a spoken language among the Kikino settlement.

Architecture
When Kikino is known for its buildings and architecture and it plays a major role in the community's identity. Items such as the Metis flag and birchbark canoes remain a representation in Kikino traditions. When the Kikino families were first given rights to their own land, they built homes by using basic needs and using materials available. This meant that most of the material that was readily available were logs or thick pieces of wood. This was house the ancestors of the Metis Settlement built their homes, so the Kikino and other settlements building their homes this way kept they kept their tradition alive. Much of their resources were repurposed and this left them with a better relationship with their traditions. Kikino's elemenatary school is one of the most popular examples that is used to demonstrate Metis traditions and architecture. Kikino's architecture also keeps developing, the community tends to come together to teach each other new techniques on what to build.
 * English language is predominantly spoken
 * “Mother tongue” languages-Aboriginal, Algonqian, Cree-Montagnais Languages, Cree, Northern Athabaskan language, Dene (statcan)
 * Culture came from european and First Nations traditions but is not defined as a incomplex merging of each other
 * There is not a clear merging of these and no real starting point to Metis culture
 * Could mention the Metis Right declaration and how this the Metis accepting that they are a mixture of the Canadian ties
 * Buildings: Cabin like, tended to build with logs
 * There were not a lot of resources for them to use that were not influenced with western expansion
 * Used repurposed materials
 * Left a better connection with their older traditions
 * Architecture in settlements also lead to metis developing their own style.
 * Kikino elementary school building is usually used as an example of what Metis culture and information looks like
 * The elementary school strengthened the connection between architecture as well as culture

Government
The Kikino government follows the Metis Settlement Constitution that was approved by the Prime Minister. Kikino's constitution was amended several times before it was approved. Each settlement elects leaders in order to maintain their councils. Kikino elects five member every three years. With the Metis Betterment Act, it was instructed to the the settlements that their council had specific powers and responsibilities, these included but were not limited to ensuring the improvement of the settlements. This meant that they would constantly find ways to improve their living conditions that is agreed upon by the people. the council was expected to look at what their community needs and improve it.

Current Councilman
Chad Cardinal is the current Chairmen of the Kikino Metis Settlement. One of the current issue that Chad Cardinal is focusing on is inflation. The 2022 all time high is heavily effecting the Kikino settlement. Chad Cardinal is currently using different programs that are already assist member of the community with covering these rising costs. Although, Cardinal feels that Kikino can implement more programs to help these First Nations people, he still believe Alberta needs to do more to assist them during these difficult times.