Glen McCallum facts for kids

Glen McCallum is a Métis leader and politician. He was first chosen to be the President of Métis Nation—Saskatchewan on May 27, 2017. He was re-elected for another term on May 29, 2021. Glen McCallum comes from Pinehouse, a community in Saskatchewan.

Before becoming President, McCallum served as the area director for Northern Region III from 2012 to 2017. As President, he has worked hard to protect and advance Métis rights. He has signed important agreements with the Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan, and local city governments. He also worked with other Indigenous governments to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic. A big success was getting government funding back for the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan. This funding had been stopped in October 2014.

Before entering Métis politics, McCallum worked as a counsellor. He helped people in Saskatoon, SK, and his home community of Pinehouse. He focused on programs that supported healing and well-being.

Glen McCallum's Professional Work

Helping Communities Heal

In 1987, Glen McCallum helped his brother, Leonard, start a special program called Recovery Lake. This program was located near Pinehouse at Muskwa Lake. The programs at Recovery Lake focused on Métis identity, culture, values, and languages. They were built on eight important principles:

• Trust
• Respect
• Feeling
• Caring
• Tolerance
• Understanding
• Acceptance
• Forgiveness

Building A Nation Healing Centre

In 1998, McCallum worked with Dr. Tom Hengen from the University of Saskatchewan to create the Building A Nation Family Healing Centre, Inc. McCallum was the president of this centre and worked as a counsellor for 12 years. Building A Nation offered mental health support in Saskatoon. These programs were sensitive to Métis culture.

The centre used the Medicine Wheel as a teaching tool. It combined traditional Métis ways with modern support services. This was different from many services at the time. Building A Nation understood the harm caused by residential schools and attempts to force assimilation. They helped Indigenous people heal from these experiences.

The services included counselling, crisis support, and personal development programs. They also helped with child custody, the justice system, and social assistance. Many programs used the Medicine Wheel to guide teaching and assessment.

In 1999, Building a Nation started a theatre program for youth called Circle of Voices. This program later became the Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre. It helped young people develop their acting skills through storytelling. It offered healing through art and a chance to share their journeys toward a healthy life.

Building a Nation also created the Building A Nation Training Institute, Inc. This school offered a counselling program called Medicine Wheel Counselling and Case Management. About 90% of the people helped by Building a Nation were Indigenous. Each year, around 1,000 people received direct support. Many more family members were also helped.

Build our Nation, Canada, as a community of citizens living in the spirit of a "cultural mosaic" in harmony together. Our logo portrays this. Our company’s structure, comprised of First Nations, Métis, and mainstream people demonstrates this. It is our purpose to honour real differences as gifts of diversity and to achieve harmony and integrity by commitment to common goals.

—Building a Nation mission statement, 1998

Work in Pinehouse

Glen McCallum also served as the Director of Social Development for the Northern Village of Pinehouse.

Leading the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan

Glen McCallum has worked hard to improve how the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan is governed. His main goal is to ensure strong and fair leadership for the Métis people.

Before the 2017 election, there were many challenges within the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan. McCallum believed that a president must work closely with the government. He ran on a promise to build good governance and a strong government.

Restoring Funding and Opening Offices

The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan lost its federal funding on November 1, 2014. This happened because there were not enough meetings of the Provincial Métis Council. Also, a proper Métis Nation Legislative Assembly could not be held. The funding was stopped until the 2017 general election.

After the 2017 election, the federal funding was given back. This happened after a Métis Nation Legislative Assembly and General Assembly took place.

When there was no funding, many offices were closed. Some assets were sold to cover costs. The finances were managed by an outside group. A special team helped with the change. This team included federal official Richard Quintal and former Saskatchewan Minister of Health Louise Simard. They stayed on to help build strong and responsible governance.

Advancing Métis Self-Government

As President, Glen McCallum has worked to advance Métis rights, including self-government. Self-government means the Métis people can make their own decisions about their communities and future. While he was an Area Director, McCallum signed the Canada-Metis Nation Accord.

After becoming President, McCallum signed several key agreements. These include the Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Reconciliation and the Framework Agreement for Advancing Reconciliation. He also signed the Métis Government Recognition and Self-Government Agreement. These agreements set up a way for the Government of Canada and the Métis Nation to work together. They discuss recognizing Métis rights, solving old issues, and getting resources for programs.

Métis Land Claims

The issue of Métis land rights is very important and ongoing. On March 1, 1994, the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan filed a major land claim. This claim covered a large area of 145,000 square kilometers. It asked for ownership and control over the land and its resources. It also asked for payment for past losses and environmental damage. This claim was a test case for Saskatchewan.

The Framework Agreement for Advancing Reconciliation specifically mentions the 1994 Land Claim. It states that this claim is a top priority in talks between the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada.

To help with land claims, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan hired lawyer Thomas Isaac. He has a lot of experience with Aboriginal law in Canada. In February 2020, McCallum announced that the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan would put $750,000 towards mapping efforts. This mapping is important for discussions with the Canadian government about Métis land claims.

Working Together: The Tri-Council

On June 27, 2019, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of Alberta, and Métis Nation of Ontario signed important agreements with The Crown. These agreements recognized the Métis people's right to govern themselves. They also set up a process for self-government to be established.

As these three Métis governments began working on the agreements, they started meeting regularly. These meetings helped them work together on shared issues. This cooperation strengthened their efforts to put the self-government agreements into action.

Saving the Michif Language

The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and Canadian Geographic magazine signed an agreement to start The Future of Michif Program. This program is a $1.8 million effort to help save the Michif language. Michif is the most spoken Métis language, but it is in danger of disappearing. Other Métis languages, like Bungi, have already been lost.

The program has two main goals. First, it highlights and celebrates Métis culture and the Michif language through media. Second, it builds ways to educate and inspire future Métis generations. It teaches them about Métis culture, heritage, and especially the Michif language.

Batoche National Historic Site

Batoche is a very important historical and cultural site for Métis people. It was the capital of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan during the North-West Resistance. The Battle of Batoche took place there in May 1885.

On December 18, 2020, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and Parks Canada signed an agreement. They agreed to discuss the future management of the Batoche National Historic Site. This is part of the larger Framework Agreement for Advancing Reconciliation.

Updating the Constitution

In April 2019, the Métis Nation Legislative Assembly decided to start a process to update the Constitution of the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan. This involved talking to many people across Saskatchewan. They consulted Métis citizens, government members, and experts. The goal was to update the Constitution to reflect changes in Métis governance. It also aimed to build a stronger government based on Métis values, traditions, and culture.

Establishing a Judicial Tribunal

As part of updating the Constitution, work began to create a judicial tribunal. A judicial tribunal is like a court that handles legal matters for the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan. In 2018, a decision was made to start this process. The Senate of Métis Nation—Saskatchewan used to handle judicial roles, but this was changed in 2008. After the decision, consultations were held, and a report was given to the Métis Nation Legislative Assembly.

The Métis Registry

Managing the Central Registry of Métis Nation—Saskatchewan has had its challenges. The registry is important for accurately identifying and counting Métis citizens. The Senate of Métis Nation—Saskatchewan used to oversee the registry. In 2008, this job was moved to the Provincial Métis Council.

Later, a minister was put in charge of the Central Registry. In 2020, this position was removed. In 2021, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan Citizenship Act was changed. This change separated the Central Registry from the political structure of the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan.

When federal funding was restored, the Central Registry re-opened in September 2017. At that time, 4,430 citizen cards had been given out. As of January 26, 2021, the Central Registry had 11,628 registered citizens.

Changes to Elections

In 2018, the Métis Nation Legislative Assembly made changes to the Saskatchewan Métis Elections Act 2007. These changes allowed for more flexibility when a position in the Executive or Provincial Métis Council became empty. They could either hold a special election or appoint someone temporarily until the next general election.

In 2019, more rules were passed to clarify who could vote and run for office. These rules stated that anyone wanting to vote or run in a Métis Nation—Saskatchewan election must be a verified citizen or be in the process of becoming one.

The Saskatchewan Métis Elections Act 2007 was further updated in February 2021. These updates included the 2019 rules and made other changes. The goal was to make sure elections were fair and clear.

Housing Support Programs

The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan has created programs to help with housing. These programs include the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan First-Time Home Buyers Program. This helps Métis citizens buy their first home. There is also the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Emergency Repair Program. This helps with urgent home repairs.

On April 23, 2021, a ceremony took place to start building the Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge. The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan provided $1.5 million in funding for this project. This funding came through the Regional Housing Strategy and the Canada-Métis Nation Housing Sub-Accord.

Duty to Consult and Protect Rights

On September 9, 2020, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan filed a claim against NexGen Energy Ltd. The claim stated that NexGen had not kept its promises. It asked the court to stop NexGen from filing plans for a uranium mine in Northern Region II.

Soon after, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan sued the Government of Saskatchewan. They claimed the province was not properly consulting with Métis people. This was about harvesting, land use, and business activities. They argued that the province's policy did not recognize Métis land rights. They asked the court to declare the policy invalid.

Important Agreements (Memoranda of Understanding)

During his time as president, McCallum signed several memoranda of understanding (MOUs). These MOUs are agreements to work together on various topics important to Métis citizens.

Métis Harvesting Rights

On December 18, 2019, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and the Government of Saskatchewan renewed an MOU from 2010. This MOU was about discussing and recognizing Métis harvesting rights in Saskatchewan. The 2010 MOU had been paused, but now negotiations could continue.

University of Saskatchewan

On November 18, 2019, the University of Saskatchewan and Métis Nation—Saskatchewan signed an MOU. This agreement aims to help more Métis students access and complete university education. It also seeks to increase the Métis presence on campus.

Health and Cancer Strategies

The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan signed MOUs with the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and researchers at the University of Saskatchewan. These agreements aim to better understand and support Métis people affected by cancer.

Saskatchewan Health Authority

At the 2018 Back to Batoche festival, the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Métis Nation—Saskatchewan signed an MOU. This agreement set up a way for them to work together. Their goal is to promote good health and improve well-being for Métis people.

Saskatchewan School Boards Association

To advance reconciliation and include Métis content in school lessons, an MOU was signed. The Saskatchewan School Boards Association and Métis Nation—Saskatchewan agreed to work together. They want to ensure Métis youth can fully participate in education and succeed.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Saskatchewan "F" Division

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Métis Nation—Saskatchewan agreed on a plan. This plan aims to resolve disagreements in Métis communities. It also seeks to prevent problems and violence. It helps police members get training that respects Métis culture.

Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School

Métis and First Nations youth attended the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding school. This school was part of the Canadian Indian residential school system. Its legacy has affected Métis citizens for many generations. An MOU was signed to start talks about addressing the impact of this school on Métis people.

National Parks and Historic Sites

The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and Parks Canada made an agreement. Starting July 17, 2020, Métis Nation—Saskatchewan citizens get free access to all Parks Canada locations in Saskatchewan. This includes Grasslands National Park and Prince Albert National Park. It also includes National Historic Sites like Batoche, Fort Battleford, and Motherwell Homestead. This agreement will last until March 31, 2026.

Personal Life

Glen McCallum is married to Verna McCallum. His brother, Leonard, started the Recovery Lake program near Pinehouse.

Glen's father attended a residential school in Beauval, Saskatchewan. His mother passed away in 2020.

See also

• Métis Nation—Saskatchewan
• Métis National Council
• Métis Nation of Ontario
• Manitoba Métis Federation
• Métis Nation of Alberta
• Métis Nation British Columbia