September 11, 2025
THE THIRD MAWACHIHITOTAAK METIS STUDIES SYMPOSIUM will take place from September 20 to 24, 2026, in Calgary, Alberta.
A call for proposals and open registration will begin in early 2026. From the symposium’s website:
Mawachihitotaak brings together Métis thinkers and creators from a range of disciplines and professions, including scholars and students working within Métis Studies and Indigenous Studies and those whose work falls in other academic disciplines. We also encourage contributions by Métis thinkers and creators who engage with knowledge systems outside of academia. Diverse perspectives will help us convene a dynamic and generous thinking space to broaden our individual and collective understandings.
Creating space for Métis people to share knowledge with one another is a priority for this symposium. Other Indigenous and non-Indigenous relatives and allies are welcome to come and engage in this space with us. However, Métis thinkers and creators will be prioritized as presenters.
Mawachihitotaak (Let’s Get Together) 2022 took place virtually in association with the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth (an exhibition about Manitoba’s entry into Canadian confederation, the Métis Nation’s role in Manitoba’s creation, and the significance of the events of 1869-70. The name “Kwaata-nihtaawakihk”, Michif for “hard birth”, was gifted by Michif Elder Verna Demontigny).
Mawachihitotaak 2024 was held at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Lucy Delgado, one of the hosts of Mawachihitotaak 2024, edited the special “Métis Studies Conference Themed Issue” (2025: vol. 2, No. 1) of Pawaatamihk: Journal of Métis Thinkers.
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We acknowledge that the land on which we work is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.