Good morning.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak before all of you. My name is Michelle Driedger, and I'm a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba.
It is important to note that while I'm a proud Manitoba Métis citizen and do research in partnership with the Manitoba Metis Federation's health and wellness department, I do not speak for the Manitoba Metis Federation. It is my understanding, in inquiring why I was asked to provide testimony today, that my invitation was identified based on research work that I have done with the Manitoba Metis Federation in regard to research carried out both during pandemic H1N1 and also during COVID-19.