Consultation panel recommends new MNS election

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The grassroots people have spoken and what they want is a new election for the leadership of the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (MNS).

That's the message received by the Metis electoral consultation panel, which met with more than 1,000 Metis people from across the province.

The panel was established by First Nations and Metis Relations Minister Maynard Sonntag in December 2004 to consult with Metis people on how the province can assist them to reform the Metis Nation's electoral process. The consultation process was undertaken after numerous irregularities were uncovered in the running of the last MNS election in May 2004.

That election was the subject of a review conducted by former provincial chief electoral officer Keith Lampard. The Lampard report, released in November 2004, determined that there were enough irregularities in the election process to call the election results into question. The number of complaints regarding the election received from Metis people by the provincial government also prompted both the provincial and federal governments to freeze funding to the MNS.

The Metis electoral consultation panel, which was chaired by noted Metis author, playwright, film-maker and educator Maria Campbell, released its report in July, putting forth three key recommendations.

The panel recommended that an independent and impartial Metis Elections and Reforms Commission be created, composed of "highly knowledgeable, competent and respected Metis and non-Metis individuals."

It also recommended that another MNS election be held as soon as possible for the positions of president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and area directors, and that a substantial and systematic effort to reform the MNS electoral, citizenship and governance systems be undertaken.

The panel summarized some of the problems Metis people have experienced with the MNS electoral, citizenship and governance systems, including difficulties in applying for citizenship cards and problems with the MNS Election Act, the MNS election regulations and with the operations of the Metis electoral commission.

The panel spent many months gathering opinions during forums held across Saskatchewan. The most common things that Metis people wanted to see from their government, the panel was told, are Metis self-government, a strong political voice for the Metis people and democratic and fair electoral, citizenship and governance processes.

Those attending the forums also told the panel they want a representative Metis governmental organization that is chosen democratically and fairly by a majority of voters, and a system of governance where everyone is treated fairly and where the leadership is responsible to every member of the MNS.

Nora Sanders, deputy minister for First Nations and Metis Relations, said the panel report concentrated on democratic process rather than people.

"What our first priority is, is to try and find a way to support the Metis to have an election that would be fairly held to democratic principles and with independent supervision. Then there would be elected leadership that we could work with and move on to whatever reforms are needed."

Donna Heimbecker was one of the members of the Metis electoral consultation panel. She is a long-time educator and is currently the general manager and founder of the Saskatchewan National Theatre Company.

Heimbecker said the panel was formed because of concerns brought forward by members of the Metis community about the fairness of the MNS elections.

"The minister (Sonntag) decided to strike a panel of people to go out and get the concerns of the community and to bring forward some recommendations for reform to the systems and processes to make it more accountable," she said.

While some elected members of the MNS came out to forums and they voiced their concerns about the consultation process, the panel did not directly invite any MNS elected officials, Heimbecer said.

The panel does not hold any one at the MNS responsible for flaws in the MNS electoral process, she said, but added that MNS president Dwayne Roth had the chance to show leadership in dealing with the issue but chose not to.

Heimbecker said the government of Saskatchewan has to provide the resources needed to reform the electoral and governance systems. She feels that the need for electoral process review and reform is not limited to the MNS, but that other Metis associations in the country do not have the capacity for electoral reform either.

At the Metis National Council's annual general meeting in Calgary in April 2005, MNS officials explained to delegates that the MNS does not have the capacity to initiate the kind of electoral reforms that people are asking for, but that any change has to come from within the MNS.

MNS President Dwayne Roth didn't return phone calls from Saskatchewan Sage, but has gone on record as saying that he will not tolerate what he sees as government interference in the MNS election process. The MNS senate has ratified the election results and Roth said the Saskatchewan government has no choice but to accept the results. The MNS under Roth has launched a lawsuit against Lampard and the Saskatchewan government over the election furor.

An RCMP investigation into the May 2004 MNS election is currently underway, and the first charges have been laid in connection with that investigation. Henry Cummings, MNSWestern Region IIArepresentative, has been charged with forgery. Cummings made his first court appearance in North Battleford on July 11 and is scheduled to appear again on Aug. 22.