The Canadian Press
Three provincial Métis organizations are asking the federal government to negotiate directly with them on issues of self-government and not through their national representative body.
The Métis Nation of Alberta, the Métis Nation of Ontario and Saskatchewan’s Métis Nation met this week in Edmonton and passed a resolution calling for more transparency and accountability from the Métis National Council in Ottawa.
However, the Manitoba Métis Federation noted there is only one Métis Nation.
Three federations
The trio’s resolution says the three organizations will work through the national council until after the federal government releases its 2020 budget, but then they want to see changes.
Their presidents signed a document saying the development of a federal Métis claims policy should occur between their respective governments and Ottawa, and that they will establish a working group to discuss possible reforms to the national council or creation of a new structure.
Last year the three groups signed self-government agreements with Ottawa that recognizes their jurisdiction.
The three were to meet with federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett in Edmonton to discuss their resolution.
