Achimowina and the Stories We Tell: An Evening with Maria Campbell

Join us for an evening of Métis stories, history, truth, resilience, and reflection with renowned Métis author and storyteller Maria Campbell.

📅 Wednesday, September 30, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Calgary Central Library – Performance Hall
800 3 Street SE, Calgary, Alberta
🎟️ FREE – Registration Required
Everyone is welcome.

About the Event

In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Calgary Elbow Métis District 6 and Calgary Nose Hill Métis District invites Métis citizens and the broader community to gather for Achimowina and the Stories We Tell: An Evening with Maria Campbell.

For generations, Métis stories have carried our history, culture, values, teachings, humour, resilience, and ways of knowing.

Some of these stories have been proudly carried from one generation to the next. Others became quiet or were hidden as Métis families experienced discrimination, displacement, and the impacts of colonialism. Today, sharing and reclaiming these stories can be an important part of understanding where we come from, reconnecting with culture, and carrying our knowledge forward.

Maria Campbell is a renowned Métis author, playwright, storyteller, Elder, and knowledge keeper whose work has helped ensure Métis experiences and voices are heard.

Through her words and lived experiences, Maria will invite us to think about the stories we inherit, the stories we share, and the responsibility we have to carry those stories forward.

This gathering is an opportunity to listen, learn, reflect, and connect while exploring Métis identity, history, resilience, belonging, truth, and reconciliation.

Reconciliation begins with truth. Truth begins by listening.

About the Speaker

Maria Campbell is a Métis writer, playwright, filmmaker, scholar, teacher, community organizer, activist, and elder. Campbell's memoir Halfbreed (1973) is regarded as a foundational work of Indigenous literature in Canada. She has authored seven other books and six plays, She has also directed and written film scripts and produced documentary films.

Maria has also worked as a volunteer with Indigenous youth in community theatre and with missing and murdered Indigenous women and men.

She has advocated for the hiring and recognition of Indigenous people in the arts and has mentored many Indigenous artists during her career. Maria has also co-established shelters for Indigenous women and children.

She taught at the University of Saskatchewan for 20 years retiring in 2020. Maria served as Advisor at the College of Law where she also developed and taught an Indigenous Law class. She is currently advisor to the President at First Nations University.

Maria has won many awards in her career, among them The Gabriel Dumont Order of Merit. The Inspire Award, The Kloppenburg Award for Literary Excellence, and she is an officer of the Order of Canada.

Who Can Attend?

This is a free public event. Métis citizens, Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members, families, students, educators, and anyone interested in learning and reconciliation are welcome.

Parking Information

Paid parking is available at the City Hall Parkade and Platform Parkade. Additional parking can be found throughout East Village, including along the east side of 4th Street SE. There is also limited parking available at the Calgary Central Library.

Please note that while this is a FREE event, parking is not included. Attendees are responsible for all applicable parking fees. We recommend arriving early and allowing additional time to find parking and make your way to the Performance Hall.

Presented By

Calgary Elbow Métis District 6 & Calgary Nose Hill Métis District – Otipemisiwak Métis Government 

An Alberta Culture Days event in partnership with the Calgary Public Library, Indigenous Reconciliation Fund – Catholic Diocese of Calgary, and Government of Alberta.

Made Possible Through the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund - Catholic Diocese of Calgary

This speaker event is offered free of charge thanks to the generous support of the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF). This funding helps us create opportunities for Métis citizens to reconnect with our history, culture, land-based knowledge, stories, and traditions, while ensuring these teachings continue to be shared with future generations.

We are grateful to the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund for supporting this important work of cultural reconnection, learning, and community.