Sask. Mtis Nation president says national council isn't doing enough for provincial groups

The national council that represents members of theMtisNation says a resolution signed by three provincial Mtisorganizations, which callsfor changes to the national body, is ignoring the real issue ofMtis citizenship.

The presidents of the Mtis Nation-Saskatchewan, theMtisNationof Alberta and theMtis Nation of Ontariomet earlier this month to sign a resolution that calledfor more transparency from the national council. The three groups said they planned to establish a working group to discuss possible reforms to the national council or creation of a new structure.

The resolution also asks the federal government to negotiate directly with the provincial bodies on issues of self-government, rather than through the national council.

Mtis Nation-Saskatchewan President Glen McCallum says the national council isn't doing enough for the provincial groups.

"What has [MNC President Clment Chartier] done to be able to engage with the five provinces?" McCallum said, referring to the five groups that are supposed to give the national council its mandate: the Mtis Nations of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C, and the Manitoba Metis Federation.

"When was the last time you called a meeting to be able to have five governing bodies sit at the table and give you direction as to what you need to do?"

The national council says the presidents of the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario groupssigned the resolution without the support of their members, and that the leadersare improperly attemptingto give Mtis citizenship to people in Ontario.

"In their release they have completely avoided direct discussion of the real issue of Ontario citizenship," the national council said in Jan. 20 press release, which it said it was issuing "to clarify the issues and defend the descendants of the historic Mtis Nation."

"The Mtis Nation is a distinct Indigenous people inWestern Canada. We have always determined who our citizens are," the council says.

In 2002, a policy called the Mtis National Definition was adopted by national council members"to ensure the Mtis Nation has objectively verifiable standards and processes to identify our citizens," the release says.

"By not following the Mtis National Definition, Ontario is, wrongfully, purporting to grant Mtis Nation citizenship to people living in eastern Ontario who are not part of the Mtis Nation."

McCallum, though, says the provincial resolution is not about thenational definition.

"We passed a national resolution to be able to go with what we feel is right in regards to our citizenship," he said. "And that's what we follow. We haven't haven't swayed from that."