As an undergraduate, Margaret Mackenzie found an opportunity to connect with a supportive community; she is now a master’s student as a McCall MacBain Scholar
“My dream job is to work with a school board on creating resources and Indigenizing their curriculum so teachers can feel confident teaching about Indigenous topics, and our past and present,” says Margaret Mackenzie
When Margaret Mackenzie came to McGill in 2018 for a Bachelor of Education, she was too shy to go to First Peoples’ House to meet other Indigenous students.
“I have struggled with not fitting into the stereotypical perception of an Indigenous person. I want people to understand that Indigeneity doesn’t just have one box,” she said.
Mackenzie, a citizen of the Métis Nation, British Columbia, has family ties to the Manitoba Red River Métis community. Her family names are Chartrand, Sanderson and Ducharme. Raised in Vancouver, she did not have many opportunities to connect with her community, beyond her own family. The Métis are a distinct group descended mostly from French fur traders and Indigenous women. With a rich cultural heritage, they are known as the flower beadwork people and share a language called Michif.