Manitoba Metis Federation turns down Carney’s invitation to talk major projects

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OTTAWA — The Manitoba Metis Federation is turning down Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation to discuss his government’s controversial major projects legislation, saying it won’t attend the meeting alongside another Metis group it says has no reason to exist.

The federation, which represents Red River Metis, says Carney’s decision to include the Metis Nation of Ontario in Thursday’s meeting undermines the integrity of the gathering and puts the government’s plans for major projects at risk.

Federation president David Chartrand says Ottawa is also propping up the Metis National Council by including it in the meeting, despite the fact that it has only two provincial members left due to conflicts related to the Metis Nation of Ontario.

Carney promised meetings with First Nations, Inuit and Metis after Indigenous leaders said they were not consulted adequately on the major projects legislation and they fear projects will move forward without their input.

While the Manitoba Metis Federation has been generally supportive of the legislation, it now says that Ottawa’s push to approve major projects is at risk if Ottawa negotiates with “illegitimate bodies.”

First Nations and other Metis groups say the communities represented by the MNO have no claim to Metis heritage and Ottawa and Ontario have no right to recognize them.