Outgoing MNC President Cassidy Caron issued a statement on the MN-S pulling out of the organization. Photo: APTN.
The outgoing president of the Métis National Council (MNC) has broken her silence and released a statement saying with individual Métis governments splitting off, the Métis Nation is at a “crossroads” in terms of advancing their rights.
“Despite this collective work and the numerous reforms to better serve the Métis Nation, we seem to be at a crossroads,” said Cassidy Caron in the statement. “Individual Métis governments are now choosing to work independently. While this is their right and I respect their decision to turn their attention to their own affairs, I also believe there will always be more strength through unity and standing together as one Métis Nation. Solidarity was and always will be the Métis way.”
On Sept. 19, the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) announced that it was withdrawing from the MNC.
MN-S President Glen McCallum said a resolution was presented at a regular meeting and passed.
“This was not a decision our government made lightly but one we felt necessary,” McCallum said in the statement. “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.”
The MNC is the national umbrella organization that is supposed to take a united message to the federal government to enact change and advance Métis rights.
But national body has been dealing with an issue around the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO), which is a member of the MNC and, according to the MN-S, continues to represent people who are not Métis.
The MN-S 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.
But in the MNC statement, Caron shot back saying that “some leaders have forgotten about our greater responsibility to each other and to nationhood.”
“The unity we are striving for is being divided by the self-interest, impatience, and ambitions of a few, rather than the collective aspirations or values of our people,” she said. “The need for a strong national voice, collaborative engagement, and respectful dialogue between all Métis has not and will not change.”
Caron’s three year term comes to an end next week and she is not seeking re-election.
The MNC’s annual general meeting and election was scheduled for Sept. 26, has been postponed.
In September 2021, the Manitoba Métis Federation, or MMF, led by President David Chartrand, left the MNC. Again, the issue was with the MNO and how it handled its member registry.
“The actions of the MNO have created a dangerous precedent and opens the doors to hundreds of thousands of individuals, who could attempt to claim Métis Nation citizenship, with membership in organizations and communities in Eastern Ontario, Quebec, or even further east,” said a resolution from the MMF when it voted to leave the national organization.
Caron said that when the MMF left, she tried to implement “a successful plan that saw our remaining Governing Members work together to be that voice.”
“Ultimately, though, as has been the case throughout my presidency, it will be the democratic will of the remaining council members that determines the MNC’s pathway forward,” she said.
“Whatever is decided, I – like so many others – remain committed to our ancestors’ visions to work respectfully with one another through the challenges that face us and stand together for a better shared Métis future that many of our ancestors gave their lives for; that bright future that all Métis people deserve. I challenge us all to make our ancestors’ dreams and our own dreams come true.”
The Métis Nation of Alberta is now the only founding member of the MNC.
In a statement, President Andrea Sandmaier called the MN-S withdrawal “disappointing” but added “the decision by MN-S does not change our resolve or the very clear mandate we have from Métis Citizens within Alberta to continue to advance our self-government journey.”
The statement goes on to say “we will continue to work in collaboration with other Métis governments to advance our shared goals.”
The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) congratulated the MN-S on its decision to withdraw from MNC and “distance themselves from the MNO.”
COO has opposed MNO for over 15 years and last September organized a rally on Parliament Hill opposing Bill C-53, which would grant recognition to certain Métis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
COO also co-hosted a summit on Indigenous identity fraud with the MMF in Winnipeg, last May.
In the statement, Ontario Regional Chief Abraham Benedict said “it is a shame that the Métis National Council continues to prop up the MNO despite two of its governing members withdrawing their membership as a result.”
The Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) said it’s considering its own role within the Métis National Council.
In a statement on Tuesday, the MNBC board of directors said “we do not take this matter lightly and understand that our decision will not only impact.”
“Métis people in British Columbia, but all Métis across the homeland. After careful deliberation and discussion, the Board of Directors has decided to seek the counsel of our Chartered Communities before deciding our way forward. We will not be swayed by outside influences or be forced to act hastily.”
MNBC represents 27,000 citizens registered with MNBC.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Sept. 24 to add a comment from the Métis Nation British Columbia.
