Métis, francophones commit to working together

A “significant step” was taken in February to heal almost 150 years of troubled relationships when the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan and Assemble communautaire fransaskoise signed a solidarity pact.

“This is an important document,” said MN-S President Robert Doucette. “It was a significant step in rebuilding our relationship between our communities.”

“It’s important that the two respective communities agree to talk and to share things, to come together on various issues,” said Andre Moquin, vice president of the ACF.

The historical pact – it is the first time a Métis group and a francophone organization have signed an agreement to work together - commits the two groups to holding formal discussions annually.

The pact builds on a 2005 conference hosted by the French Institute at the University of Regina in which the Métis were invited to a dialogue with the francophones. Over the course of the next six years travelling round table discussions took place between interested Métis and francophones in Batoche, Willowbunch, and North Battleford. The next round table is planned for this fall in the Melfort area.

“The issues are very, very emotional,” said Moquin, who participated in a couple of round table discussions. “At the signing of this pact, I know that my personal feelings were … quite happy that after 130 years of going our separate ways … now after this long hiatus we’re coming together and talking as good neighbours.”

The division between the two groups of people came about in 1885 when the Northwest Rebellion was crushed and leader Louis Riel hanged. While the Métis and francophone continued to live side-by-side, there was mistrust as fear and racism were prevalent.

Moquin said that through the round tables, it became clear that the two peoples shared many things in common: language, culture and minority status in the province.

“Our ancestries are really joined at one point in history. We have very common heroes. For example, Louis Riel is very much a hero as much for the Métis as for the francophones,” he said.

The pact, said Doucette, harkens back to the time of the fur traders, when the two groups of people worked together.

“We are on our way to reconciliation, to working together, to rebuilding our family ties and that great relationship that we had,” he said.

The pact adopts processes which show “genuine and mutual respect,” said Doucette, and will bring about “constructive dialogue.”

Marc Masson, communications officer with ACF, pointed to the knowledge that can be shared between the two groups of people.

“We’re struggling right now to develop post-secondary education in French for our community. The Métis community has developed that. They’ve got pretty good services. They’re making progress every year with the Gabriel Dumont Institute.  It’s very well established and it has a good reputation. And we can probably learn from them,” said Masson.

On the flipside, he said, the francophones have been running their own school boards for well over a decade and this could provide expertise for the Metis to draw on.
Doucette noted that both groups shared issues: retention of languages, importance of educating children about their cultural traditions and values.

“There are a lot of similar issues, that when we need the support of each other, I can safely say, that we will be there to support each other,” he said.

Masson also said the pact could lead to discussions about shared rural economic development and tourism. Already, Métis and francophones are working together in the Greater Batoche region on Terroir, a pilot project aimed at diversifying the crop grown in the region and providing more jobs.

Paul Heppelle, president of ACF, said in the speech he delivered on the day of the signing, that the pact “is a commitment to the future of our respective cultures, a commitment to the future of our languages, a commitment to the future of a province and of a country in which we will be called upon to partner up for the betterment of all. In today’s uncertain and changing times, our promise to work together, to share ideas, to discuss issues, to share concerns truly is a step forward.”

Photo caption:" President Robert Doucette of the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (left) and Paul Heppelle, president of the Assemble communautaire fransaskoise, sign a solidarity pact between their two peoples. (Photo: ACF)