Métis issues lost in priorities of federal department

Métis National Council President Clement Chartier is pleased that progress is being made on a national Métis economic development strategy.

The MNC, along with the provincial Métis organizations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, have been meeting with Aboriginal Affairs ministers in those five provinces as part of a Métis economic development symposium process.

Now, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt has given the nod to move forward in early 2014 with further discussions with the five provincial ministers and Métis organizations.

“The purpose of which is to adopt a national Métis economic development strategy,” said Chartier, “so that was significant for us.”

Valcourt was in attendance the morning of Nov. 19, the second day of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group meeting in Winnipeg. It was the second time since the group was created in late 2009 that an Aboriginal Affairs minister has attended.

“The minister came …and didn’t speak to Métis or Inuit issues; simply spoke on two items dealing with First Nations,” said Chartier. “The Métis are totally subsumed within the new umbrella of Aboriginal Affairs, so (Métis) are not a significant part of Indian Affairs, so (the minister’s) priority is to address what they see as the bigger pressing issues. Basically we have to accept that.”

Valcourt’s main address dealt with the First Nations Education Act and new measures to work with First Nations reserves in emergency situations.

Still, Chartier was pleased to make headway with the national Métis economic development strategy.

Headway was also made on Aboriginal housing.

In a news release issued by the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, National Chief Betty Lavallee said she was “extremely pleased” that Aboriginal Housing was moved out of the economic development subgroup to become its own separate committee, as she had suggested.

“I have always maintained that you first need to have a place to call home before you can expect to see beneficial outcomes in sectors such as education, health and income security. I look forward to getting down and working on this important issue,” said Lavallee.

However, the same progress was not made on the call for a national inquiry into murdered and missing Aboriginal women and girls. Once more, Valcourt remained adamant that such an inquiry would not happen.

But the working group is still pushing the federal government to consult with the provinces and territories, along with national Aboriginal groups, to set terms of reference for a national inquiry.

“Which of course, if they’re not going to have (a national inquiry), they’re not going to do consultations,” said Chartier. “But we’re not giving up.”

Also on the agenda was closing the graduation gap and closing the income gap as a means to address economic development.
The same issues are discussed at every meeting, said Chartier. The working group meets semi-annually, with the next meeting scheduled for April.

“Nothing really specific or concrete (was determined),” he said. “It’s more a continuing dialogue, which is probably the best we can hope for with this kind of meeting because you don’t go there with specific proposals.”

Added to the agenda this time, though, was a presentation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which recently had its mandate extended by one year to June 30, 2015. Commission Chair Justice Murray Sinclair asked the working group for support to make a presentation to the premiers. Chartier said the TRC has repeatedly asked for time with the premiers but has been unsuccessful in getting it.

“The majority (of ministers) will lobby their premiers to give the TRC an audience,” he said.

Chartrand added that the TRC’s presentation gave him the opportunity to inform the ministers that most of Métis residential school survivors are not covered under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.

Photo caption: Provincial and territorial Aboriginal Affairs ministers and leaders from five national Aboriginal organizations met in Winnipeg for the semi-annual Aboriginal Affairs Working Group session.