Boundaries, dispute resolution taken to Métis membership

Since 2008, the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan has been without an internal conflict resolution process. That’s about to change.

“As we move forward, being a nation, as a government, which we identify ourselves as, we need to have some sort of system in place where we can go to for an appeals process,” said Louis Gardiner, minister for intergovernmental affairs for the MNS.

The association has been without a conflict resolution process since a constitutional amendment removed that responsibility from MNS senate.  The senate consisted of Elders, and members found themselves “being pressured into making the tough political decisions,” said Gardiner. Now the senate fills an advisory role.

Gardiner co-chaired meetings that took place over four weeks throughout the province and ended mid-August.
The membership meetings were a follow-up on work undertaken on the appeal process by consultant Marilyn Poitras. Poitras’ pre-consultation work consisted of meetings in six communities and examined the MNS’s present judicial system.

To deal with conflicts presently, parties go outside the MNS, sometimes to court, to get a resolution.

“I think it’s better we deal (with issues) inside the nation,” said Gardiner.
The creation of a dispute resolution body is being considered.
Also being taken to the membership is the issue of boundaries. In 1997, a Boundaries Act Review was put in place with a review to occur every 10 years kicking off in 2001. That review never happened.
Stantec Consulting was contracted to meet with Métis members and make them aware of the Boundaries Act. The province is divided into 12 regions, with Métis population count a deciding factor in drawing boundaries.
Métis membership numbers are an issue, said Gardiner, whether using the federal census, membership or citizenship numbers. According to the last numbers provided by Statistics Canada, there are 46,000 Métis in Saskatchewan. Gardiner said MNS counts membership between 50,000-80,000. Registry numbers are lower than that.

“The registry is an education thing for a lot of (Métis), understanding that local cards are not enough. A central registry is a better process. It moves us further into discussions we have with the government as to how we can provide them with data,” said Gardiner.

Gardiner and his group took the Stantec report across the province in the month-long meetings.

Now that the meetings are completed, reports will go to the Métis Nation Legislative Assembly for further discussion and decisions.

“The MNLA will give direction as to how we proceed, what steps are to be taken next,” said Gardiner.

No date has been set for the next MNLA meeting.

“There is no timeline set but we will move as quickly as we can. We have to ensure we take our time and do it right,” said Gardiner. “There’s going to be a system and it has to be a system which people support.”