Ni’noxsola – Kookum Sheila Buchanan
Biography
Métis – Lac la Biche
Sheila Buchanan was birthed by her Grandmother in a log house in the small town of Lac la Biche in Northern Alberta. She was the second child of fourteen and was raised by her Grandparents who taught her traditional ways such as trapping, cooking and survival skills. She speaks the languages that were spoken in the Métis community of Lac la Biche which include Cree, Michif, English and a little French.
Métis Jigging was a regular part of Sheila’s home life where the community would come together and dance. Every weekend neighbours would take turns hosting the family friendly dances in their homes. Lac la Biche may have been a poor community but it was rich in simple pleasures and family values. Transportation was typically a horse and wagon, or a cutter in the winter months which is a type of sleigh.
Sheila was married at the age of eighteen and moved to Athabasca, also located in Northern Alberta. It was there that she raised her three children. She is now the proud Grandmother of twelve Grandchildren and twelve Great-Grandchildren.
Sheila is a firm believer in adult education. She decided to further her education in her late twenties by finishing her high school diploma, then obtained a college degree in law enforcement and corrections and completed her studies with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta.
Sheila has worked as a a Peace Officer, Corrections Officer and retired as a Parole Officer.
Sheila currently volunteers at the Florence Filberg Center, Comox Legion and Habitat for Humanity. She is on the Comox Valley Schools Cultural Presenters List and teaches Jigging, Cree, Michif and speaks on the subject of Métis culture.
