Remembering
a forgotten people
OTTAWA — Canada's forgotten aboriginal people are a step closer to full recognition. Last month the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling to allow Métis in Sault Ste. Marie to hunt moose. The ruling was based on the argument that the Métis are a distinct aboriginal culture whose way of life includes hunting. For years the Métis have had a hard time proving who they are and how their culture is distinct. There is a misconception that the word "Métis" stands for all people with some aboriginal blood, "a mixed curiosity or a left-over Indian," says Tony Belcourt, president of the Métis Nation of Ontario. "People sometimes think we're some kind of mixed blood — so we're not a people," he adds. Métis is a French word often used to describe people who are descendants of northwest fur companies' employees and native women. Some Métis speak a distinct aboriginal language called Michif, a blend of French and Cree. There are an estimated 300,000 Métis living in urban and rural areas west of Ontario There are no reserves for Métis, except those in Alberta which were created in the 1930s and '40s. The Métis, Belcourt says, are a "landless people."
Over the past two decades, groups in Eastern Canada, Quebec and the Maritimes have been identifying themselves as Métis. Although Morin supports their right to identify as Métis, he fears the identification will confuse people who already find the concept of a Métis people difficult to grasp. "I don't know who they are, but they prefer to slot themselves as Métis to gain legitimacy in terms of recognition of themselves and their rights," says Morin. "But [the Prairie Métis] are a historic nation with our own homeland." The Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982 defines aboriginal people as First Nations People, Inuit and Métis. Still, Métis people are often lumped together with non-status Indians. The federal department of Indian affairs does not negotiate with the Métis directly. Instead the federal government has assigned Natural Resources Minister Ralph Goodale as the federal interlocutor for Métis and non-status Indians. Goodale doesn't have a department or regular funding for this extra task. The position was simply established to facilitate communication. The issue of Métis rights is being lost in a federal-provincial battle, says Brad Morse, a University of Ottawa law professor who specializes in aboriginal issues. "They've been playing political football for the last 30 years. The federal government says they can't do something because it's not their jurisdiction. The Provinces say the same."
Even though the federal government isn't responsible for Métis rights, it hasn't ignored them. "The minister is trying to put aside the big-picture issue and deal with the tangible," says Pat Breton, a spokesperson for Goodale. "The priority is to try and be there for the Métis community as much as possible." The Powley case is an important step in the fight for Métis rights with the federal government because it reaffirms their status as a people, says Gerald Morin, president of the Métis National Council. "It's not a situation where we had nothing, and then we had a positive ruling from the court of appeal so we had everything," says Morin. "It's an evolutionary process. The Métis national agenda was going to happen anyway, but the Powley decision strengthens our hand politically." Belcourt agrees that the ruling is significant. He says it's time the government understands how essential hunting is to Métis culture. "Hunting is our way of life," says Belcourt. "The way it is a part of the lives of aboriginal people generally, and Métis are no different. It is a tradition. It is not the sort of thing people choose or choose not to do. It is a way of life, unless you live in an urban area. It is one of the defining features of the Métis people."
First Nations people and Inuit groups may have had more success than the Métis because of Supreme Court cases that have forced the government to address their rights. Métis hunting cases, several of which are pending in provinces across the country, haven't reached the Supreme Court level — yet. Ontario is expecting to appeal last month's decision, which doesn't surprise the president of the Métis Ontario council. "The provincial government is trying to harass our people and interfere with our way of life," says Belcourt. "They are constantly trying to limit the way we practise our way of life. Hunting is our way of life. The way it is a part of the lives of aboriginal people generally, and Métis are no different." A win at the Supreme Court level could mean a stronger case for arguing Métis rights and recognition at all levels of government that they are a distinct aboriginal group. For more information, please visit: The
Métis Nation of Canada - Métis National Agenda
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• 17 per cent of Canadians have some sort of aboriginal blood. • The Métis were instrumental in keeping the United States from expanding into the Prairies in the Battle of 1812. • Some people believe the square dance evolved from traditional Métis dance. • Before Europeans arrived, native women did not braid their hair. It was the Métis who began to braid their hair. Métis History 1850 - The Statute for Lower Canada defines "Indian" for the first time. The definition broadly includes all people with native ancestry or anyone raised in native culture. 1869 - The Indian Act says any native woman who marries a non-native man loses her aboriginal status. 1870 - The Manitoba Act reserves 1.4 million acres for the Métis and their descendents. Many Métis are defrauded out of this land. 1885 - The North-West Rebellion is led by Louis Riel to fight for the land rights of the Métis. 1885 - Louis Riel is hanged for treason. 1979 - The Declaration of Métis and Indian Rights is approved by the Native Council of Canada. This would shape the goals of future Métis organizations. 1982 - The Charter of Rights and Freedoms defines aboriginal people as Métis, Inuit, and First Nations. 1983 - The Métis National Council is created to represent the interests of Prairie Natives. 1985 - Bill C-31 gives the opportunity to regain status to Indians whose female ancestors married non-aboriginals. 1998 - In response to a Royal Commission on Aboriginal People Canada announces the Aboriginal Action Plan. 2001 - Powley Case wins in the Court of Appeal in Ontario.
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