The Métis National Council, based in Ottawa, may be losing another member. Photo: APTN.
The Métis Nation British Columbia says it is withdrawing from the gathering of the Métis National Council to elect a new president after a review of the organization’s structure.
“With Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN-S) no longer a governing member, the governance structure that remains is inequitable,” said Walter Mineault, president of the MNBC, in a statement posted on its website. “We had sincerely hoped that our MNC governing partners would reach an equitable solution to address this imbalance of power, but unfortunately, there is an unwillingness to create a new way forward together.”
The MNBC’s move comes after MN-S announced it was leaving the MNC in September.
The MNC, based in downtown Ottawa, has been losing members since the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) left in 2021. MMF departed at odd with the national organization’s recognition of people who the MMF doesn’t consider to be Métis.
The split turned nasty when the MNC filed a lawsuit against the MMF that was eventually dismissed in 2023. The MNC was ordered to pay the MMF’s legal fees.
In September, the MN-S left for similar reasons.
“This was not a decision our government made lightly, but one we felt necessary,” said President Glen McCallum in a statement on Sept. 19.
“Our MN–S government and our Métis communities need to have control over our identity and culture while making decisions that align with the values of our Saskatchewan Métis Nation.”
McCallum also said the MNC has failed to ensure the integrity of the Ontario group’s citizenship registry and not rectified it, despite constant calls to do so.
In a press release made public on Thursday, MNC the annual general assembly and the election of a new president will again be delayed to allow for ongoing discussions.
About 100 delegates are gathered in Edmonton for what was supposed to be the start of the AGA and election on Thursday.
No names of potential candidates has been put forward as the meeting was delayed before it got going.
“The need for a strong national voice, collaborative engagement, and respectful dialogue between all Métis has not and will not change,” said the MNC press release that was not attributed to anyone.
It’s unclear who has been steering the ship at MNC following former president Cassidy Caron’s departure on Oct. 1.
Caron, who is in Edmonton, told APTN News in a phone interview, that there is always an ebb and flow in Métis politics and it’s “not shocking to Métis people anymore when things like this happen.”
Caron believes there is still a strong desire to continue moving forward with a “unity message” and a national voice honoring 42 years of history.
Following the end of Caron’s term, an existing MNC staff person was put in place as an interim CEO to facilitate dialogue and take direction from MNO, MNA, and MNBC.
A statement from the Métis Nation of Alberta (now the Otipemisiwak Métis Government), on the current situation at MNC said “our top priority will always be our Métis citizens in Alberta. Our citizens elected a Citizens’ Council to represent them and the Citizens’ Council expects the OMG’s status as a founding member of the MNC to be respected during the reform discussions.
“We are ready to work with our fellow governing members to reform the MNC into an organization that better serves the needs of the Métis governments that it represents.”
The MNBC said membership is the main reason for permanently departing from the annual general meeting – and possibly from the MNC.
“It is our responsibility to fight for equality on behalf of our Citizens,” Mineault added in the statement. “Our future with MNC is uncertain and will be decided after consultation with our Métis Chartered Community leaders at the end of November.”
MNBC will decide it’s relationship with the Métis National Council when board and community members meet starting Nov. 30.
