Lii Zaanfaan (The Children)

Started in April 2020, the Lii Zaanfaan (The Children): Understanding the Health and Well-being Trajectories of Métis Children in Alberta will deepen our understanding of Métis health and build on knowledge from the maternal and perinatal health research. This project explores how intergenerational trauma and maternal and perinatal health impact the health and well-being of Métis children.

About the study

The MNA is currently developing a 10-year strategy to support the health and well-being of Métis children and families across the lifespan by creating and enhancing supports during the early years of life.

The Lii Zaanfaan study will help us understand the contributing factors, conditions, and actions that can make the most difference to improve Métis children’s health and well-being in Alberta.

The goal of the study is to create a unified, Métis-led approach across each of the six MNA regions that is grounded in community knowledge.

The feedback from Lii Zaanfaan will directly inform our strategy and the planning of culturally appropriate, self-directed actions that support Métis children’s health in Alberta and across Canada.

The Lii Zaanfaan project began in April 2020 to deepen the MNA’s understanding of Métis maternal and perinatal health and research.

To learn more about the Lii Zaanfaan (The Children) Survey, please contact us at 780-455-2200 or health@metis.org today. To view available Maternal and Perinatal Health research resources, below.

Cultural Craft Kits

Are you a parent or caregiver of a Métis child aged 10 or younger? The Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation Within Alberta (MNA) is bursting with free Lii Zaanfaan Cultural Craft Kits and your child is invited to flex their artistic creativity on what “health and well-being” means to them.

Participants will be entered into a draw for awesome prizes and have their art displayed at our community events and on our website.

Submitted artworks will support the ongoing efforts of Lii Zaanfaan (The Children): Understanding the Health and Well-being Trajectories of Métis Children in Alberta. This initiative, in partnership with Queen’s University and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, aims to inform and develop a 10-year strategy for Métis children’s health.

Supplies are limited. Register for your kits today!

Register Here

For more information on the program, please contact Mariam Ahmad, Research and Project Coordinator, by phone at 587-415-1056 or email mahmad@metis.org.

This study has been reviewed for ethical compliance by the Queen’s University General Research Ethics Board. If you have any ethics concerns, please contact the General Research Ethics Board at 1-844-535-2988 or email chair.GREB@queensu.ca.

Additional resources:

This project is funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Ehawawisit (With Child)

The Ehawawisit (With Child): Maternal and Perinatal Health Outcomes Among the Métis in Alberta and the Influence of Proximal, Intermediate, and Distal Determinants of Health research project was developed in partnership with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, and McMaster University.

Through an epidemiological analysis of administrative health data, we saw where Métis women and babies experienced different health outcomes compared to non-Métis women and babies. The Ehawawisit project activities were completed in April 2021 and the findings were compiled into three reports.