Belcourt Brosseau Métis Awards disburses more than $1 million a year to post-secondary students seeking opportunity
At the yearly Creating Possibilities event in Edmonton, more than 400 Métis Albertans, including students and sponsors, take part in the cultural festivities—jigging, fiddling and feasting.
Excitement builds toward the highlight of the night, the presenting of the Métis Sashes to this year’s recipients of the Belcourt Brosseau Métis Awards (BBMA) and a celebration of their pursuit of post-secondary studies.
The cultural gathering, free to attend for scholarship recipients/alumni and their families, has become a cornerstone of the BBMAs, says Theresa Majeran, a Métis communications manager and organizer of the event since 2006.
“We have students from aerospace engineers to midwives . . . it’s like homecoming every year. We don’t simply write cheques. We’re very much about engagement . . . we’re only here to help each other, that’s what the Elders say.”
The scholarship fund was established in 2001 by three individuals, Dr. Herb Belcourt, Orval Belcourt and Georges R. Brosseau K.C. The trio had created a housing corporation in the 1970s to help Indigenous people buy or rent homes, but by the turn of the millennium, they saw that education was foundational to creating a better future for Métis people.
They liquidated the housing company, and with the $13 million in assets, endowed funds at the Edmonton Community Foundation to support the post-secondary pursuits of Alberta’s Métis students.
Since its inception, the fund has provided $11 million in awards to support tuition cost for more than 3,500 Métis students. Since 2002, the endowment, which has nearly doubled, is able to providing funding of more than $1 million in awards every year, in amounts of $1,000 to $10,000 per student per year. Notably, more than 96% of students successfully complete the term of studies for which they were funded.
In their application for the award, students share their connections to the Métis community, career aspirations and financial need along with other personal circumstances that impact their education, such as caring for family. The application also requires students to share how they will remain connected to the Métis community.
“It's an amazing thing for these young Métis because many start their journey not really knowing who they are,” Majeran explains, noting award recipients are selected by a committee that includes an BBMA Awards Panel, BBMA alumni and representatives from the Edmonton Community Foundation.
“After you’ve received your Sash, you’ve met your peers, and you’ve met the Elders, the next steps are to start engaging with the Métis community. As they grow into their careers, they start to give back and become more involved in their culture,” she says.
“A lot of our perimedics, for instance, go and work on Métis settlements up north where the need is great,” she adds. “It’s circular.”
Enbridge has supported BBMA for years, most recently awarding a $7,500 Fueling Futures grant in 2024 to support the annual cultural event. We also supported the BBMA endowment fund targeted at students from Edmonton, east-central Alberta or northeastern Alberta who are studying in fields of technology, engineering or law (particularly Indigenous law).
At Enbridge, we aim to support vibrant communities by empowering youth and honoring Indigenous peoples and cultures, guided by our Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan. The BBMAs are helping hundreds of Métis students access life-changing education to improve their future and that of their families, communities and Nation.
As National Indigenous Peoples Day arrives on June 21, we’re honored to shine a spotlight on the impact the BBMAs have had improving Métis lives for nearly 25 years.
Majeran recalls the words of Georges R. Brosseau, one of the award founders: “Education is how you measure the wealth of a country, and that’s the way you develop optimism and hope in our Métis people.”
She adds: “These awards are all about creating capacity and building a strong, enriched, educated nation that gives back to society.
“And who are the Métis? We’re your doctors, your letter carriers, your lawyers. We’re everywhere.”
