The prominent Manitoba Métis Federation said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to invite the Métis Nation of Ontario to Thursday’s meeting undermines the integrity of the gathering.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
The leaders of three Métis organizations emerged from a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying they are optimistic the federal government will respect Indigenous rights as it moves forward with major projects legislation.
The Thursday gathering discussed Bill C-5, which allows the federal cabinet to deem projects to be of national interest and then exempt them from various laws to speed up approvals and construction. Some Indigenous communities voiced concerns that the law could violate their treaty rights.
The meeting was the third between Mr. Carney and cabinet ministers with Indigenous leaders to discuss the law. Separate gatherings with First Nations and Inuit took place in July.
Otipemisiwak Métis Government president Andrea Sandmaier said specific projects were not discussed in Thursday’s meeting, but added they have always been supportive of responsible resource development.
“As long as Canada is going to consult with us and make sure that our Indigenous rights are protected, we’re ready to go,” she said. “I am positive, positively optimistic, actually, that that is going to happen. And if they don’t, we’re going to hold their feet to the fire.”
Mr. Carney is calling on Métis leaders to help transform the economy in response to an increasingly unsteady trade relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump.
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Métis Nation-Saskatchewan president Glen McCallum said in a statement that he will support projects that are developed responsibly and in close partnership with their citizens.
“While the lack of consultation surrounding the tabling and passage of this legislation remains a concern, today’s summit gives me cautious optimism that Canada will meaningfully come to the table to engage with us as the sole representative of the Métis Nation within Saskatchewan,” he said.
Absent from Thursday’s meeting was the prominent Manitoba Métis Federation, which declined to attend because of Mr. Carney’s decision to invite the Métis Nation of Ontario. The MMF claims the MNO has no reason to exist.
MMF president David Chartrand said Wednesday that Mr. Carney’s decision to include the MNO undermined the integrity of the meeting and put the government’s plans for major projects at risk.
In an interview Thursday, Mr. Chartrand said he met with Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty Wednesday evening, and then held a phone call with Mr. Carney. Mr. Chartrand said he briefly discussed the issue about the MNO and that he hopes that the Prime Minister learned from what he calls a mistake.
The Manitoba Métis Federation is turning down Mr. Carney's invitation to discuss his government's controversial major projects legislation, saying it won't attend the meeting alongside another Métis group it claims has no reason to exist.
The Canadian Press
Mr. Chartrand supports Bill C-5, but said that support is based on trust and respect that must be reciprocated. He said that he feels more confident in that trust after meeting with Mr. Carney.
“I still don’t know him well enough yet, but I trust his demeanour and the way he’s coming across with his message,” Mr. Chartrand said of the Prime Minister. “I trust that he’s being sincere and honest.”
Other Métis groups and First Nations say the communities represented by the MNO have no claim to Métis heritage, and that the federal and Ontario governments have no right to recognize them.
The MNO has defended itself from those claims, saying Métis do not exist only in the Red River region. First Nations in Ontario have sought academic reviews of six new communities recognized by the MNO and the provincial government in 2017, saying they are not legitimate and infringe upon their territories.
MNO president Margaret Froh said Thursday that the recognition of Métis rights within Ontario is “long settled.”
She added that the MNO “is the only Métis government that has a decision from the Supreme Court of Canada recognizing the Métis community with rights under Section 35 [of the Constitution] in this country, that is the Sault Ste. Marie community.”
Ms. Gull-Masty said that the federal government has a responsibility to speak with everyone. In his opening remarks, Mr. Carney said that Métis rights recognition is a continuing process and that the government included representatives in various stages of it in order to hear different perspectives.
Premiers say buy-in needed from Indigenous leaders on major projects
Métis Nation British Columbia also decided not to attend the summit because it was only invited as an online observer.
Ms. Froh said that Métis appreciate the tense trade situation Canada is facing with the United States.
“From its very beginning, we were here and built the foundations of this country, and we are still here today as partners in development,” she said, as long as the development respects Indigenous rights and the environment.
Mr. Carney and his ministers said they thought the meeting was constructive, with the Prime Minister saying there was “good energy” in the room.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Carney said that the new Canadian economy will be built in partnership with Indigenous peoples. He also reiterated that respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples is at the core of Bill C-5. Thursday’s meeting was about discussing the overall approach, he said, and not considered consultation.
The government has said it will bring in a major projects office and Indigenous Advisory Council by Labour Day, at which point it can start accepting project proposals.
With a report from The Canadian Press