Expulsion of Former Ministers from Liberal caucus must not impede great progress on Canada-Métis Nation reconciliation, says Métis National Council President Clément Charter

VANCOUVER, April 3, 2019 /CNW/ - At the conclusion of an important symposium on Métis Nation rights reconciliation in Vancouver April 2-3, 2019 President Chartier is reiterating the strong support of the Métis Nation for the nation-to-nation, government-to-government relationship it is building with the government of Canada.

"None of the issues in the dispute between Jody Wilson-Raybould and the Trudeau government has anything to do with the rights and interest of the Métis Nation," says President Chartier. "The symposium just held in Vancouver showcased the tremendous progress being made at the Métis Nation's rights reconciliation tables with Canada and through the Prime Minister's Permanent Bilateral Mechanism (PBM) that is enabling us, through unprecedented federal budget investments, to finally address the long neglected needs of Métis people.  We should not and cannot allow this dispute to distract from this critically important work."

The Symposium looked at various instruments of reconciliation including:

Negotiations toward the settlement of the land claim of the Manitoba Métis community that was upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2013;

Section 35 rights tables that Canada has established with the MNC's Governing Members enabling them to resolve claims and negotiate self-government agreements;

Federal legislation on Indigenous languages and Indigenous child and family services including the Métis Nation; and

The PBM that is being implemented for the Métis Nation through the Canada-Métis Nation Accord and has resulted in significant investments in Métis Nation housing, early learning and child care, financial support for post-secondary students, skills development, and business development.

"We are now working with Canada on a new federal policy to replace the old land claims and self-government polices that excluded the Métis," says President Chartier. "This is reconciliation in action after 150 years of oppression and neglect.  We look forward to our upcoming annual Summit with the Prime Minister where we can set priorities for the next year and continue our joint journey on the path to reconciliation."   

The MNC represents the Métis Nation in Canada at the national and international levels. The Métis Nation's homeland includes the 3 Prairie Provinces and extends into the contiguous parts of British Columbia, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and the United States. There are approximately 400,000 Métis Nation citizens in Canada, roughly a quarter of all Aboriginal peoples in the country.

SOURCE Métis National Council

Ke Ning, Métis National Council, c: [phone], e: [email protected]