By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News What began as a practical way to pay off a car loan has grown into a thriving collective where Métis artists support one another, share their culture, and create opportunities for future generations. For Métis artist Kelsey Olsen, the beginnings of Michif Makers were surprisingly ordinary. “I started it because I have a really high loan on my car and I wanted to pay my car off early,” Olsen said. “That’s what started it.” At the time, she was working in a position where she didn’t feel her experience and knowledge were being fairly valued. “I also was working a job where I wasn’t necessarily being paid in the way that I felt was fair for the amount of knowledge…







