MAA officials say splinter group is elitist

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The president of the Metis Association of Alberta is unhappy over the formation of a splinter group but feels the group is elitist and will not appeal to most Metis.

Reacting to a Riel memorial ceremony held by the Metis Nation Alliance headed by acting president Ron LaRocque, Larry Desmeules said he felt "sad to see a group, especially when they were working within our democratic process, break away."

"There are a lot of disgruntled people, but it is better to work than fight," he said during an open house held at Local 1885 in Edmonton Nov. 16.

Local president Stan (Butch) Plante agreed with Desmeules and read an article from the Edmonton Journal which he felt indicated the new organization was not interested in low-income Metis.

"It says LaRocque's group want to attract successful, well-educated and wealthy members from the provincial Metis population," he said, reading the report.

"I didn't want to involve politics in today's celebration but this group does not, in my view, represent the Metis population," he said. "It's unfortunate because we need unity rather than personal interests. We already have people in place in the MAA who are prepared to work for us."

However, Ron LaRocque says the alliance is interested in Metis in all income groups, but because he feels the affluent Metis were not interested in the association, he particularly wants to encourage them to get involved.

"We are not just targetting them. But we need those kind of people," he said in an interview.

LaRocque pointed out that he and the alliance "do not want to attack the MAA" but the Metis people are going to get tired of the "heckling," he added, referring to an incident on the steps of the legislature when Local 1984 president, Thelma Chalifoux interrupted a press conference LaRocque was holding.

During the open house, several members complained that the splinter group could split the association. Unsuccessful candidate Joe Blyan pointed out that he stood for election "and lost more than anyone else. And I've lost to the best of them, but I didn't start a new club even though I lost to some heavy-duty Metis," he said.

Blyan pointed out that he had fought against former president Stan Daniels and lost, "but I still worked with Daniels. The Daniels' name stood for development in this country and now I understand his two daughters have left and that makes me feel a little sad."

But Jo-Ann Daniels says the association has no right to speak of her father because "they have betrayed the cause."

Daniels says her father fought for the rights of all Metis people but "now the association says membership is a privilege, not a right. My family and I thought long and hard before we made that decision to leave the association, but we feel we are carrying on my father's vision in the alliance," she said in an interview.

Although association members say the alliance will only appeal to a few, Metis Zone 4 vice-president Dan Martel added that he will continue to promote the ideals of the association and will be conducting a series of forums to address the issues of the general membership.

In an interview after the discussion, Martel said he would be conducting seminars in all parts of the province to address the issues and concerns of the association.