Métis National Council facts for kids
Métis National Council logo
|
|
| Abbreviation | MNC |
|---|---|
| Formation | March 8, 1983 |
| Founded at | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Purpose | Representative of the Métis people within Canada. |
| Headquarters | 600-180 Elgin Street Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2K3 |
|
Region
|
Canada |
|
President
|
Victoria Pruden |
| Affiliations | |
The Métis National Council (French: Ralliement national des Métis) is an important group that represents the Métis Nation in Canada. It works to make sure the Métis people have a strong voice and a good future within Canada. The Council gets its guidance from elected leaders of Métis governments in different provinces.
Since the late 2010s, the Métis National Council has faced disagreements. These arguments are about who is considered Métis. They also concern which groups should speak for the Métis Nation to the Canadian government. Two of its original members, the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) and Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S), left the Council in 2021 and 2024. They left because the MNC continued to recognize the Métis Nation of Ontario. Some groups believe the Métis Nation of Ontario recognizes communities without strong family or cultural ties to the traditional Métis homeland.
Contents
History of the Métis National Council
The Métis National Council was created in 1983. Its main goal was to help the Métis be recognized as a unique group. This group is different from other Indigenous peoples. They share Métis Nation family history, for example, from the Northwest and Red River, Manitoba settlements. They also form recognized communities.
The Council was formed to speak for the Métis at the federal level in Canada. This became very important with Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. This part of the Constitution recognizes and affirms the existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada. The Métis National Council is a recognized voice for Métis people in three Canadian provinces. It represents these Métis people to the Government of Canada and on the international stage.
The Council is led by a Board of Governors. This board includes the presidents of the provincial Métis organizations and the national president. A past national president was Yvon Dumont. He later became the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. The most recent president of the Métis National Council was Cassidy Caron. Her term ended on October 1, 2024. Victoria Pruden is the current president.
Indigenous Affairs Canada is the federal department that works with Indigenous peoples. On April 13, 2017, this department and the MNC signed the Canada–Métis Nation Accord. This agreement aims for the Canadian government to work with the Métis Nation, through the MNC, on a "nation-to-nation" basis. This means they work together as two distinct nations.
Disagreements Among Métis Organizations
Who is Considered Métis?
One big reason for recent disagreements among provincial Métis groups is about who is considered Métis. The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) has given memberships to people from four communities. These are Mattawa, Georgian Bay, Killarney, and Temiskaming. The MNO says these groups are Métis people. However, others argue that these areas are mainly inhabited by First Nations people and settlers. They say these groups do not have cultural ties to the recognized Métis communities.
Some claimed that most Métis who registered with the MNO did not meet the citizenship rules set by the National Council in 2002. These rules require a family link to the Métis homelands, especially the Red River area. The MNO disagrees with these claims. The Council put the MNO on a one-year probation in 2018. It then stopped its membership in 2020.
In 2019, the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) decided to condemn the MNO. The MMF felt the MNO was recognizing Métis communities outside the traditional Métis homeland. This homeland includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, parts of British Columbia, the southern Northwest Territories, and northern parts of some U.S. states. The MMF said these actions put the Métis Nation's identity at risk. In September 2021, the MMF left the Council. Its president, David Chartrand, said the MNC had "abandoned the MMF and the true Métis Nation." He also stated that the MMF decided to leave if the MNO was still allowed to be part of the Council. This was because the MNO had many non-Métis Nation citizens in its registry. The MNC has stated that they do not accept the idea of new Ontario Métis communities.
In 2023, Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations Marc Miller introduced Bill C-53. This federal bill aimed to help the MNA, Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S), and MNO achieve self-determination. It also aimed to set up a way to carry out treaties. The MMF and First Nations groups in Ontario opposed this bill because it recognized the MNO. MN–S first supported the bill but withdrew its support in April 2024. President Glen McCallum criticized the bill for its "one size fits all" approach. MN–S then planned to introduce its own self-government treaty.
On September 19, 2024, Métis Nation—Saskatchewan voted to leave the MNC. McCallum said that MN–S needed to control its own identity and culture. He felt they needed to make decisions that fit the values of the Saskatchewan Métis Nation. MN–S stated it was in the best position to speak for Métis citizens in Saskatchewan on its own. The issue with the MNO was also mentioned. David Chartrand told CBC News that MN–S leaving the MNC made the organization almost non-functional. This is because its rules require two founding members to be present at meetings. Only Alberta was left. Before this, the MNC had already canceled a presidential election planned for September 26. The Council had been operating without a president. Its next annual general meeting was delayed to November, waiting for a report on the Ontario issue.
On October 31, 2024, the annual general meeting was delayed again. This happened after Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) withdrew. They cited an imbalance in the organization's leadership. President Walter Mineault said that with Métis Nation–Saskatchewan no longer a member, the remaining leadership structure was unfair. He also noted an unwillingness to find a new way forward together. On November 30, 2024, the MNBC voted to leave the MNC completely.
Agreements with the Federal Government
The Métis Nation of Alberta, Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, and Métis Nation of Ontario signed self-government agreements with the Canadian government in 2017 or 2018. The Manitoba Métis Federation and Métis Nation British Columbia did not. These three provincial organizations formed a "tri-council." They asked the federal government to work directly with them, not with the MNC. They met with Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennet in January 2020.
Leadership Changes and Meetings
In November 2019, MNC's president, Clément Chartier, said he would reduce his duties. He wanted MMF president David Chartrand to become the "national spokesperson" for MNC until a new president could be elected in April. However, Chartrand was never officially made interim president. No board meeting was held to approve this change. The general assembly planned for April was canceled due to COVID-19. So, the leadership situation was not fully resolved at that time.
Alberta Métis Federation
In 2019, the Fort McKay Métis Community Association voted to separate from the Métis Nation of Alberta. Other community groups in Alberta also decided to separate. These groups then joined together in 2021 to form the Alberta Métis Federation. The Manitoba Métis Federation recognized this new group, even though the Métis Nation of Alberta protested.
Current Structure
The Métis National Council is made up of several provincial Métis organizations. The number of these members has changed over time. Its current members include:
Presidents of the Métis National Council
- Yvon Dumont (1988–1993)
- Gerald Morin (1993–2003)
- Audrey Poitras (January 12, 2003, interim President and National spokesperson)
- Clément Chartier (2003–2021)
- Cassidy Caron (2021–2024)
- Victoria Pruden (2024–present)
