MNO president vows hunting will continue

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The Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is not amused.

The organization thought it had reached a deal last July with the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) that bound the ministry to recognize MNO-issued harvester's certificates for the Aboriginal hunting season in Ontario that opened Sept. 1 and continues to the end of December.

The Metis were of the belief the agreement with the province was set for two years and would be re-evaluated at the one- and two-year mark.

Now MNO President Tony Belcourt and Ontario Regional Chief of the Chiefs of Ontario, Charles Fox, are accusing the MNR of reneging on the agreement without even having the courtesy to inform them of the government's apparent change of heart.

They are calling for an immediate meeting with Premier Dalton McGuinty to work out an Aboriginal policy that will prevent such arbitrary treatment of Aboriginal citizens.

Belcourt said, "The process and timelines for developing the promised and much needed new relationship is inadequate and inappropriate given the urgent and complex issues that must be addressed between us. We need a relationship that will bring about promised change-and we need it now."

The agreement was supposed to guarantee the MNO right to issue up to 1,250 harvester's certificates to its eligible members in keeping with conservation provisions established, monitored and enforced by the MNO.

The certificates were to ensure MNO members the right to hunt without being harrassed by provincial authorities. MNR field officers had assured the MNO that their enforcement officers would not charge MNO certificate holders unless they were found violating conservation or safety regulations.

Although the deal was signed with a number of issues not completely resolved, it was considered to be the start of a working relationship of equals insofar as a substantial number of Metis people in Ontario were concerned.

According to the MNO, the MNR implemented unilateral changes the night of Oct. 6. that will lead to confusion and quite possibly charges being laid against its members.

The province is now saying it will only recognize the MNO certificates in limited areas.

A letter from the MNR dated Oct. 5 and addressed to MNO chief negotiator Gary Lipinski, falls back on the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Crown versus Powley to place geographic limits on the hunt.

The letter states in part: "The MNR is prepared to consider implementing the interim harvesting agreement on the basis of currently available information and MNO's assertions of historic Metis communities in the Sudbury, North Bay and Mattawa, and Penetanguishene areas.

"This must, however, be accompanied by a commitment to immediately pursue collaborative research addressing these areas ... Ontario can go no further at this time in permitting unlicensed harvesting by your members as it appears highly unlikely that there is a basis for Metis food harvesting rights elsewhere in Ontario."

Belcourt expressed anger and disappointment during an Oct. 7 CBC radio interview, when he said he had just heard the news indirectly that day.

He said only 519 of their members had been issued harvester's certificates up to that date, but that another 200 applicatons for certificates were pending and would soon be granted.