(September 17, 2024) The Métis Nation has lost a special woman. Marilynn Taylor, MNBC’s first Minister for Elders passed away yesterday at her home in Trail.
Marilynn was first elected as the Region 4 (Kootenays) Director on the MNBC Board in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016. While she did not seek re-election in the 2020 General Election she remained active in her Kootenay South Métis Community. She had been President of the community prior to her election as Regional Director.
As the director for Region 4 on the MNBC Board, Marilynn’s first priority was always looking after the needs of Métis Citizens in her region. Whether it was promoting training and post education needs for young Métis citizens in her region, or looking after the needs of Métis children in care as a member of the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Services Society, or raising issues at the Board level on behalf of any of the 6 MNBC chartered communities in her region, Marilynn could always be counted on to strongly and succinctly make her case on behalf of her region.
Recognizing her strong belief in Métis people and the historical struggles many Métis families faced, and her absolute commitment to fairness and impartiality in all of her work on behalf of Métis citizens, and her desire to ensure Métis seniors and elders had a strong advocate on their side, in 2017 former MNBC President Clara Morin Dal Col appointed Marilynn the first Minister of Elders for MNBC.
In expressing her sadness on Marilynn’s passing, Ms. Morin Dal Col said, “Marilynn was a true friend and my Métis Elder. No one believed in the Métis people more than Marilynn. She was a true Métis. She will be missed by all who knew her, and I will very much miss her warm friendship.”
“She was my inspiration and she was always there when I reached out to her for advice and guidance.”
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