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<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\tMiss Indigenous Canada 2026 Brooke Metchewais. (Photo: Tiffany Thomas\/Taylre Media\/Instagram)
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Metchewais\u2019 passion for youth empowerment is reflected in her community project, Mamawi Mentorship.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMy community project was actually on youth mentorship,\u201d she said. \u201cMamawi in Cree means all together, together as a group, a collective well-being.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The project focuses on creating accessible cultural programming where Indigenous youth can connect with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and mentors.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI really just want to extend my care and our attention to our youth; having proper, low-barrier, accessible, cultural programming for those youth,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n
Through her work in health services, Metchewais has seen how important it is for people to feel included and supported.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so critical to feel safe, heard, and seen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Metchewais also shares her personal journey of sobriety as part of her message of empowerment.\n<\/p>\n
She recently celebrated three years of sobriety and believes that sharing personal experiences can help inspire others.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I\u2019m actually celebrating three years of sobriety coming up next week,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really important for me to speak on that.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Through her work in Child and Family Services, Metchewais has witnessed the importance of ensuring Indigenous youth have access to cultural supports, especially those living in urban communities.\n<\/p>\n
She believes young people should feel welcomed regardless of where they are in their cultural journey.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay that they might not know the language, or a ceremony; okay that they might not be a powwow dancer, but to come as they are and to walk alongside them in that journey.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Her commitment to wellness also inspired her 300-kilometre running challenge, which connected physical activity, fundraising, and conversations around health, belonging, and harm reduction.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe only get one body, and it\u2019s important to take care of it and nourish it,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n
She believes representation plays an important role in helping Indigenous youth see new possibilities.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was growing up, I didn\u2019t really see a lot of Indigenous representation in spaces like leadership,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n
Today, she hopes to be part of creating that visibility for the next generation.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that embodying those characteristics and taking care of yourself is really going to show the next generation that we can be well.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Metchewais believes communities are entering a time where the focus must shift toward healing and creating healthier futures.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hear the word intergenerational trauma all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s now, we\u2019re in a time now, we got to change the narrative.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
As she begins her year as Miss Indigenous Canada 2026, Metchewais says her role is to listen, learn, and support the priorities of the communities she represents.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be the vessel,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to be the arms and legs of what the community wants and needs this year.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
For Metchewais, the title is not about individual recognition. It represents a responsibility to serve.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI really came into this program not feeling like there was ever going to be a winner,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s no winner. It\u2019s a matter of just who\u2019s going to be the representative for the year, because we\u2019re all winners.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\u201cOur community members know what they need,\u201d she said. \u201cMy role is to listen, to learn, and to help carry that vision forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe hear the word intergenerational trauma all the time. And it\u2019s now, we\u2019re in a time now, we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":170550,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[17,967],"class_list":["post-170549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-canada","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170549\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}