Richard Rick Zonadah (Strong heart) Meilleur

Richard Rick Zonadah (Strong heart) Meilleur is the proud to be the Leader of the Métis Nipissing Families. A retired miner of 32 years, Rick devotes much of his efforts to the Métis movement in the Nipissing, French River and Greater Sudbury Area.

Experienced in the Métis politics as former Councillor, Chair, and Senator of the Sudbury Métis Council, Rick is fluent in French, English and Michif, He sat on the Michif Language committee for the Metis Nation of Ontario for 17 yrs. He donates much of his time to his community through collaborations with School Boards and with local Post-Secondary Educational Institutes.

Rick is the Elder in residence for Collège Boréal and former President of the Conseil d’Éducation Autochthone for the Louis-Riel Centre.

Rick describes himself as a hunter, a fisherman, an avid outdoorsman but foremost as a passionate family man. Husband, Father of 5 children and Grandfather to 13 beautiful grandchildren, he spends his time handing down the traditions and teachings he’s acquired over his lifetime, assuring that his legacy lives on.

He loves to play traditional music by utilizing spoons, harmonica, lumberjack jigger and guitar. He serves as Indigenous Liaison for Café-Musique’s Board of Directors, an organization well known for Kanata 1534 Production, Louis Riel production and Samuel de Champlain Production.

Always connected to his roots in the French River community, Rick identifies himself as a proud Métis with French and Algonquin roots & now resides in Sudbury.

Western Michif

Rick Zonadah (Strong Heart) Meilleur yé’fièr détt le li’deu dé Famiy Métis du Nipissing. Sâréprézentt sé deu’famiy ki’ress dan’téritouèr du Nipissing pi la Rivière dé fransâ. Unmineur pou’trandeuzan pi law yétan pans’sion, yipawss’sontan âzdébât pou’lé Métiss dan’réj’jon du Nipissing pi lâ Rivière dé Fransâ, piôssi au Grand Sudbury. Rick Yétâ sul’konsèy du Sudbury Métis Council.

Komm étan konsèyé, viss’prézidan pi âfin kom Sénateur iyaw dlèxspérianss dan polotik Métiss. Yi’parl fransa anglâ pi michif. Yétâ assi sul’komité d’lâ lang Michif pou’17 tan avek lâ Nation Métis d’lontârio. Idonn’ben sontan ô komunôté âtravèr dézékol , dé kolèj, pi dé’zunivèrsité. Yé’lèné ô kôlèj bawré’yal. Ansiein prézidan du konsèy dédukawssion awk’tok’tawn du sent Louis Riel.

Ricks’dékri kom shasèr, pèshèr pi iyèmbensaw pawsé son tan dan bel’air frèsh. Kom’épou , Pèr, granpèr de 13 p’tsizenfan éj’voudi stun’nomm dévouyé â famiy. I passtoutt kesé’yaw’pri danl’tan pou’gârdé lâ kultur awlé. Yi’èm ben saw joué d’lâ muzik avek dé ku’iyèr, d’lâmuzik’kâboush,d’lâ gitar pifèr dansé le jigger Métiss sâ’plansh. Iyé le middle man pou’lorgânizawssion Café-Muzik, rekawnu pou’lé prawduc’ssion Kanata 134, Prawduc’ssion Louis Riel é Prawducssion Samuel de Champlain.

Iress’toul’tan konèkté avek sakomunôté la Rivière dé Fransâ. I’sidentifi kom Métis ô râsinn Francâ pi Alguonquin. Komsélaw I’ress â Sudbury.