Hello,
As CEO of Stardust, Jason organizes the Stardust Festival in Timmins, ON, Canada. He claims to be "of French and Métis heritage." In Canada, Métis are considered an Indigenous group. The controversial part is that many Métis groups are organizations and not communities and certainly not governed by something like the Indian Act as Status Natives are in Canada. There is a growing controversy in Canada about many Eastern Métis groups who are trying to gain the same Treaty rights as Status Indian people without (a) belonging to a Native nation, and (b) their people ever signing a Treaty. Many of whom claim Indigenous ancestry through a single ancestor as much as 13 generations in the past. Much of this is part of Dr. Darryl Leroux's research (
https://www.raceshifting.com/). At least Jason is a "descendent" of Metis ppl and not trying to claim to be one. But, is he?
According to the website anangokaa.space: "Experience the groundbreaking Anangokaa Festival 2024, the largest Indigenous STEM+ festival in Timmins, Ontario, from May 27th to June 1st, empowering regional outreach and fostering local economic growth." However, the vast majority of people that are acting as "Storytellers" for the Indigenous students that he brings are non-Native.
https://anangokaa.space/storytellersFrom his LinkedIn biography:
Jason Michaud was raised in Dubreuilville, a lumber village. With a blend of French and Métis heritage he grew up amidst the rich cultures of both the French and Anishnawbe communities, on the traditional lands of Michipicoten First Nation.
Overcoming the challenges of growing up in an isolated community, Jason tenaciously pursued his passion for a career in STEM. Despite the obstacles faced, he became the first in his family to graduate from high school, a testament to his unwavering determination and resilience. Jason then went on to pursue his education in computer sciences at Collège Boréal.
In 2014, Jason founded Stardust with a vision to advance the space industry through technological innovation and scientific breakthroughs, ultimately making space more accessible to humanity.
Through Stardust, he has successfully established several international projects in collaboration with partners worldwide. Notable among these ventures is the renowned Anangokaa Festival, the largest space festival in Canadian history.
With over 80 parabolas of experience in zero-gravity, lunar, and Martian gravity flights, Jason Michaud has accumulated substantial expertise as a crew member. He has worked closely with esteemed institutions such as the Canadian Space Agency and the National Research Council of Canada in the development of the SERENITY project. Jason's aspirations extend to the establishment of a lunar city in the future.
The SERENITY project will allow space explorers to embrace their loved ones from space during the ARTEMIS missions. Jason's Anangokaa initiative aims to empower indigenous sovereignty in space, particularly for the people of Turtle Island, through the establishment of the first indigenous space agency. In 2026, the Robotic Arm One For All, which shall be developed in conjunction with ispace, will enable future generations to remotely experience the sensation of touching the moon's soil during its flight.
Additionally, Jason's latest endeavor, THEIA, is the world's first lunar analog habitat, designed to accommodate a crew of 20 or more individuals. THEIA will focus on studying crew dynamics, and well-being, and conducting comprehensive research on various aspects of human civilization, with the ultimate goal of paving the way for humanity as a multi-planetary species.