Manitoba Métis Federation and Chiefs of Ontario renew calls for government and institutional action in addressing Indigenous identity fraud

WINNIPEG, MB, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Last week marked one year since the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, co-hosted the Summit on Indigenous Identity Fraud, a landmark gathering that brought together First Nation, Red River Métis, and Inuit Leadership from several regions across the country to begin the discussion on how to collectively address the growing crisis of false claims to Indigenous identity.

The Summit, held on May 14-15, 2024, in Winnipeg, MB, was a call to action rooted in the defense of Indigenous sovereignty, the protection of community integrity, and the responsibility to uphold truth and accountability in all institutions. Over the past year, the urgency of this issue has only intensified, as more cases have come to light where groups and individuals falsely claim Indigenous ancestry for personal, professional, or institutional gain.

The first Summit proved to be a pivotal moment for Indigenous Nations taking a collaborative approach to address Indigenous Identity fraud. Ontario First Nations and MMF opposed the inclusion of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) in federal Métis self-government legislation, Bill C-53, because the communities represented by MNO did not exist historically and therefore cannot be considered an "Indigenous group".

"The Summit and its resolution condemning Bill C-53 as the ultimate reward of Indigenous identity theft at the collective level undoubtedly played a part in the federal government abandoning this legislation last year", said Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict.

Going forward, MMF and COO plan to focus on effective measures to counter the threat of identity fraud confronting legitimate Indigenous Nations. Next steps will include discussions on how to address the threat that Indigenous Identity theft poses to major projects such as energy corridors and critical minerals that are being proposed to meet the threat of tariffs hanging over Canada.

"We will continue to make it clear to industry and governments that if they hope to advance projects in our territories, entertaining fraudulent groups who are making false claims only poses a risk to the progress of the initiative because of the inevitable strong opposition. We continue to urge governments to ensure they are negotiating and signing agreements with legitimate Indigenous Nations", said Regional Chief Benedict.

Next steps will also include discussions about the Métis National Council Expert Panel Final Report that was released in April 2025. The Expert Panel was tasked with examining the legitimacy of the so-called "historic Métis communities" in Ontario. MMF and COO both effectively dismissed the findings of the final report and are of the position that the Expert Panel was incorrect in its conclusion that the MNO communities are "an integral part of the Métis Nation" and that there were significant problems with the process that cause skepticism from the very start.

"The outcome of this report was never in question," said MMF President David Chartrand, "When the 'expert panel' was proposed in 2021, we already knew what the findings would be, as did those commissioning it… Their objective has always been clear - to wave a magic wand and create a new people. We know who we are, as do the First Nations of Ontario, and there is simply no room for MNO to create a new people."

Read the Support Resolution from the May 2024 Summit on Indigenous Identity Fraud denouncing the MNO and the organization's false claims to Métis identity and assertions in First Nations Ancestral and Treaty Territories HERE

Read the Declaration from First Nation, Inuit and Red River Métis Leadership condemning Indigenous Identity Fraud across Canada HERE

Chiefs of Ontario Dismiss Findings of Métis National Council Expert Panel Report

MNC expert panel report riddled with errors that undermine Nationhood and perpetuate identity theft

Believe in Yourself; Believe in Métis. 

The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) is the democratically elected National Government of the Red River Métis, also known as the Manitoba Métis. The Red River Métis are a distinct Indigenous Nation and People and Canada's Negotiating Partners in Confederation and the Founders of the Province of Manitoba.

SOURCE Manitoba Metis Federation

For more information, media may contact: Kat Patenaude, Media Relations Advisor, Manitoba Métis Federation, 204-801-7710, [email protected]; Isak Vaillancourt, Communications Manager, Chiefs of Ontario, 416-597-1266, [email protected]