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Winnipeg Free Press
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indigenous groups question government funding for Métis Nation of Ontario
OTTAWA – First Nations in Ontario and the Manitoba Métis Federation say nearly $1 billion in federal funding went to a group they allege is fraudulently claiming Métis identity. The Chiefs of Ontario, which represents 133 First Nations in the province, shared with The Canadian Press data on more than 20 years worth of federal funding provided to the Métis Nation of Ontario. It suggests that $819,836,061 went from Ottawa to the MNO — an organization First Nations leaders say has no legitimacy and threatens their rights. 'This data shows just how badly First Nations in Ontario are being harmed by the diversion of government funding to the MNO and away from the needs of First Nations and other legitimate groups,' the Chiefs of Ontario said in a media statement. 'The question is, why is the Crown sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the MNO when there is overwhelming evidence contradicting their claims?' The data indicates the money came from several federal departments, including Indigenous Services Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Parks Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. The MNO also received funds from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Impact Assessment Agency related to the potential impacts of projects in their communities. The conflict between First Nations, some Métis groups and the MNO stems from a 2017 decision by the government of Ontario to recognize six 'new, historic' Métis communities in the province — and a 2023 federal government bill, which never passed, that would have affirmed the MNO's right to self-government. First Nations and other Métis groups say the communities represented by the MNO have no claim to Métis heritage and Ottawa and Ontario have no right to recognize them. Last month, history professor Leila Inksetter of the University of Quebec in Montreal released a report drafted on behalf of the Wabun Tribal Council that concluded there is no evidence of a mixed-ancestry community in the Wabun Tribal Council's territory in northeastern Ontario. The MNO rejected that report, saying that despite years of outside attempts 'to discredit' it, 'nothing has changed.' 'The facts of history will not change because a new 'expert' has been paid to peddle the same Métis denialism,' the group said in a media statement. The MNO has cited a 2003 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to recognize a Métis community in and around Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. The case did not consider the six new communities recognized in 2017, but rather what may constitute a Métis right. Another report, published last month and commissioned by Saugeen Ojibway Nation, also concluded there is no evidence of a distinct Métis community in their territory in southwestern Ontario. 'The historical evidence simply does not support this claim,' says the nearly 200-page report, written by two historians at the University of Toronto. While the report says there were 'certainly individuals and families of mixed ancestry' in the region, that can't form the basis of a claim to a distinct community within Saugeen Ojibway Nation territory. Jennifer St. Germain, MNO chief strategy officer, said Métis and First Nations 'should not be working at odds as we are not enemies.' 'We have worked together throughout our shared history to push colonial governments to respect the rights of Métis and First Nations peoples, to properly invest in the programs that matter to our families and communities, and to uphold the honour of the Crown,' she said. 'When the MNO and Ontario First Nations work together, we make real change for the better for our children, families, and communities, as well as our lands and waters. It's time to get back to the table rooted in our shared values of honesty, truth, and respect.' The Chiefs of Ontario says that the academic research 'merely reaffirms reality.' 'It is extremely disappointing that Canada and Ontario … failed to do any adequate research before recognizing the MNO. Not only are Ontario and Canada refusing to consult First Nations, they refuse to share the research they relied on or acknowledge the growing body of research and take steps to fix their mistakes,' the Chiefs of Ontario said in a media statement. Open disputes over claims to Métis heritage came close last year to ripping apart the Métis National Council, which once acted as a national voice for Métis but now has just two provincial members. The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan withdrew from the Métis National Council last September, citing concerns about the MNO and claiming the council had failed to ensure the integrity of its citizenship registry. The Métis Nation British Columbia withdrew from the council shortly after, saying it had lost confidence in the council's ability to serve as a national advocacy organization. Their departure came years after the Manitoba Métis Federation withdrew from the council, citing similar concerns. Will Goodon, the Manitoba Métis Federation's minister of identity protection and inter-Indigenous affairs, said the amount of public money available to Métis communities is limited and should not be shared with bodies that are not connected to what he calls the historic Métis Nation — largely recognized as descendants of the Red River communities in Manitoba. One Parks Canada grant received by the MNO was meant to allow the organization to secure land and 'support creation of an ecological corridor in the region along the north shore of Lake Superior,' says a federal document. Goodon said that type of funding raises red flags for both Red River Métis and First Nations concerned about the prospect of the MNO seeking land in their territories. The Manitoba Métis Federation said it's also troubled by the fact that the federal government last week invited MNO leaders to a meeting to discuss its controversial major projects legislation. The federation, which boycotted that meeting, said the MNO's invitation undermined the integrity of the gathering and put the government's major projects agenda at risk. 'Canada and Ontario are pushing pro-development agendas. They say they will consult with 'Indigenous communities' but, in Ontario, the only consultations that should occur are with the rights holders — First Nations,' the Chiefs of Ontario said in a media statement. 'Pan-Indigenous approaches do not work and only devalue the true rights holders.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2025.
CBC
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Northern Ontario First Nations group releases report to challenge Métis claims to the region
A new report commissioned by the Wabun Tribal Council says there is no historical evidence of Métis communities on their territory — a direct challenge to the Métis Nation of Ontario's claims to the region and part of the council's effort to build a legal case against those claims. The report was commissioned by the council, which represents six First Nations in northern Ontario, about a year ago and examines documents from 1794 to 1906 to determine if a Métis community existed on the territory claimed by Wabun nations anytime before 1906. Executive Director Jason Batise says its findings support what many First Nations in the region have said for years. "There are no Métis communities, no historic Métis communities, or otherwise in the traditional lands of the Wabun First Nation communities," Batise said. The Wabun Tribal Council represents Matachewan, Brunswick House, Chapleau Ojibwe, Flying Post, Mattagami and Beaverhouse First Nations, whose traditional lands span an area roughly between Chapleau, Kirkland Lake and Timmins. The Métis, a distinct Indigenous people with a shared culture, traditions and language, emerged in the late 1700s in what is now western Canada. Their communities outside this area, including in Ontario, are contentious. An ongoing debate Roughly six years ago, the Metis Nation of Ontario and the provincial government announced the identification of historic Métis communities. One of those communities is the Abitibi Inland Historic Métis Community, located primarily within Wabun territory and the council's main source of frustration. According to Ontario and MNO, this Métis community developed among a scattered series of interconnected trading posts between Moose Factory on the James Bay coast in the north and the Temiskaming region in the south. Batise argues the new report challenges Métis community claims, stating that mixed Indigenous ancestry alone does not constitute a legitimate Indigenous community. To be recognized under the Constitution, the Supreme Court requires clear evidence of historic occupancy and a distinct community structure, which the Wabun report claims is absent, arguing the "tiny and shifting fur trade posts, scattered hundreds of kilometres apart could not have formed a "distinct Métis community." In a statement to CBC News, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said "the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed that Métis have an inherent right to self-government." In February 2023, the Government of Canada and the Metis Nation of Ontario signed a Métis Government Recognition and Self Government Implementation Agreement, recognizing the Métis Nation of Ontario as the Indigenous government for communities within Ontario. "We need to respect the First Nation rights holders," Batise said. "If Ontario and Canada want to do business in our territories, they should only be talking to the First Nations." He said it's troubling that the provincial and federal governments continue to recognize Section 35 rights — a constitutional act that recognizes and affirms existing treaty rights — for what he called "non-existent communities." Métis Nation of Ontario rejects report The rejecting of the basic facts of history to support Métis denialism in Ontario needs to end, said Jacques Picotte, Métis Nation of Ontario Regional Councillor for the Abitibi Inland Historic Métis Community. In a statement to CBC News, Picotte points to the period leading up to the signing of Treaty 9 in 1906, where Métis in the Abitibi Inland region petitioned to be recognized as a distinct group and to be provided Métis Scrip, similar to what communities in western Canada were provided. "These half-breed petitions from the Abitibi Inland region, like those signed by half-breeds at Penetanguishene, Sault Ste. Marie and elsewhere in Ontario, were ignored by the Crown," Picotte said in his statement. Notably, government officials in the early 20th Century repeatedly recognized the injustice "half-breeds" in Ontario faced." The First Nations that make up Wabun Council are signatories to Treaty 9 and Picotte believes to honour that agreement, which states signatories "will maintain peace between each other and between themselves and other tribes of Indians… whether Indians, half-breeds or whites," Wabun council needs to sit down and talk with the Métis. "'If treaties are sacred and solemn documents signed by Indigenous peoples and the Crown, which the MNO acknowledges they are, why are some First Nations choosing to ignore some of the words in their treaties as well as parts of the history that led to the making of their treaties in Ontario?" asked Picotte in his statement. He said the leadership of Wabun First Nations have already spent over $250,000 on a previous report on the same topic. "After spending all of that money and after years of attempting to discredit the MNO, nothing has changed. The facts of history will not change because a new 'expert' has been paid to peddle the same Métis denialism," Picotte said. In 2021, the Métis National Council –– comprised of the Ontario nation, the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and the Métis Nation British Columbia — commissioned an expert panel whose mandate was to investigate the seven historic Métis communities in northern Ontario. According to MNO's website, "the final report unambiguously confirms generations of shared culture, kinship, and political alliances between Métis communities in Ontario and those further west." A broader legal and political dispute The Ontario government is required to consult with Indigenous peoples when it comes to mining and forestry and other developments on their territory, which includes Métis communities in northern Ontario – something the Wabun Tribal Council has opposed. As for the Métis Nation of Ontario, it maintains it has a right to be consulted is based on its historic and ongoing presence in the province and that all Indigenous peoples should be respected equally. The new report, Batise said, will form part of a broader legal challenge against both the provincial and federal governments, "on the existence of MNO's claims of historic Métis communities in our area." "We're being careful," Batise said. "We want to have our research tidy and concise when we finally launch our claim." Picotte said despite the new report, the negotiated agreements between Canada and the Métis of Ontario remain in place. "Métis communities in Ontario — and the MNO as a federally recognized Métis government — aren't going anywhere," he said.
CBC
05-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ontario First Nation leaders tell resource companies not to negotiate with provincial Métis group
Social Sharing Ontario First Nation leaders used this week's Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference to demand that resource companies not negotiate with the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO). They say the Métis group has no legitimate right to be consulted on projects on their lands or to benefit from such projects – an allegation the MNO rejects. "There are no historic Métis in our territories," said Jason Batise, the executive director of the Wabun Tribal Council. "And yet the Ontario government policy insists that we engage with them, that industry engage with them." The Wabun Tribal Council is challenging the policy in court, he said. The news conference was the latest chapter in a battle that has pitted the Chiefs of Ontario and the Manitoba Métis Federation against the Ontario Métis group, a battle that the latter characterizes as politically motivated. It comes as Ontario premier Doug Ford, citing the economic threat posed by new American tariffs, has renewed his push to fast-track new resource development in the province – a move First Nation leaders have also pushed back against. 'What's next? Who else wants to be Indigenous?' Batise said his community has found a path forward with industry but government requirements to consult the Métis makes the work of resource companies even more difficult. "We're talking about protecting the rights of First Nations," he said, "because if MNO can do it, what's next? Who else wants to be Indigenous?" A provincial secretary with the Métis Nation of Ontario rejected allegations that the group's claims are illegitimate. "There's only one Métis community in the country that has been recognised by the Supreme Court as being Section 35 rights holding, and it is the Métis community in Sault Ste. Marie," said Mitch Case, the regional councillor for the Huron Superior Métis Community for the provisional council of the MNO. "When we won the Powley case 20 some years ago – all of these people that are now criticizing the MNO – I could send you their press releases where they congratulated us and told us it was a victory for all Indigenous people." One lawyer and former First Nation chief said she blames the provincial government for fanning the flames of the conflict because of a lack of care in identifying legitimate rights-holders. The government sends a form letter to project proponents with a list of Indigenous groups they need to consult, Sara Mainville said. "Generally it's the local first nations within a certain radius," she said. "And every single time, it's the Métis Nation of Ontario. Every single time. … And that's just pure laziness." Some of the conflicts also date back to a controversial 2017 decision by the government of Kathleen Wynne to recognize six historic Métis communities in Ontario that hadn't previously been recognized, she said – a decision she said was made with a lack of due diligence. Concerns with Indigenous identity fraud Asked during the mining conference if the Ontario government could step in and provide more guidance on industry's obligations to the Métis organization, Minister of Mines George Pirie simply said the province will continue to respect its duty to consult with Indigenous communities. Mainville said it's important for governments to address the issue because Indigenous identity fraud is a significant problem. She said it is also confusing to some First Nation people that some MNO members are Métis people whose ancestral ties are to communities in western Canada. But Case, who is also the organization's provincial secretary for rights, intergovernmental relations and communications, said the MNO does not assert rights in southern Ontario, where the majority of its members who don't hold rights in Ontario reside. And, he said, only members who are rights-holders in a given area are entitled to benefits that derive from that area. The organization, Case said, uses the same system as other Métis organizations across Canada to verify the Indigeneity of its members. That system, according to its website, is based on the 2003 Powley decision from the Supreme Court of Canada. The court in that case laid out broad criteria for verifying Métis identity for the purpose of asserting rights: individuals have to have had a long-standing self-identity as Métis; they must provide evidence of an ancestral connection to a historic Métis community, and they must be accepted by a modern community that is a continuation of the historic community. In 2023, the Métis Nation of Ontario passed a resolution permitting the removal of citizens who did not meet the organization's current membership requirements. That followed the publication of the results of its registry review in 2021, which found that 5,402 out of 23,978 membership records were incomplete, according to MNO's website. Mainville said she understands the frustrations of the First Nation leaders who have had to fight for recognition only to find themselves sharing it with "newcomers" that may not share their protocols or priorities, she said. "But I also feel like we're being divided and conquered because we're not talking to each other," she added. "Maybe we should do some of that as well."
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada Nickel signs agreement with First Nations for Crawford Nickel Project
Canada Nickel Company (Canada Nickel) has announced a significant agreement with the Mattagami, Matachewan and Flying Post First Nations, members of the Wabun Tribal Council, regarding the Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project. This agreement is a 'significant' advancement in terms of progressing the Crawford Project, while also promoting cooperation with First Nations communities. It also establishes an early business and employment opportunities framework as the parties work towards a comprehensive Impact Benefits Agreement (IBA). The agreement encompasses pledges for transparent negotiations on significant contracting opportunities including the construction of a 25.2km railway line, the relocation of Highway 655 and the development of a temporary overpass on Highway 655. These initiatives aim to promote economic development and address the priorities of the three First Nations. Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby said: 'This agreement is a milestone in the development of the Crawford Project and reflects our commitment to meaningful partnerships with First Nations and our respect for the Traditional Territories in which we are fortunate to operate. 'We value our ongoing work with Flying Post, Mattagami and Matachewan First Nations, and the collective advocacy efforts of Wabun Tribal Council, and we look forward to building on this foundation to deliver long-term benefits for their membership, our project, and the region writ-large.' Scheduled between 2025 and 2029, these projects will prioritise First Nations businesses, promote own-source revenue, foster partnerships and support regional growth. The agreement additionally sets up systems for transparency and cooperation, including regular engagement sessions. A First Nations business representative will also be appointed to coordinate opportunities within the project. The primary initiatives outlined in the agreement involve giving priority access to businesses owned by First Nations for contract participation, as well as offering specialised training programmes aimed at improving local skills development. Matachewan First Nation Chief Alex 'Sonny' Batisse said: 'This agreement provides a genuine starting point for addressing the impacts of the Crawford Project on our lands and people. It is a positive step towards ensuring Matachewan First Nation's members voices are heard and our rights are respected." Canada Nickel also announced the results of the front-end engineering and design (FEED) activities for the project, which were completed by the company's consultants. The main objective of the FEED was to revise the estimate of the initial capital costs. Engineering efforts concentrated on the initial capital expenditure, drawing on information gathered from a winter geotechnical programme, a test piling initiative and revised quotations. The mining schedule was reorganised to expedite the extraction of higher-value ore from the East Zone and decrease pre-stripping by 30%. Another significant alteration was the reorganisation of the mining schedule. Ore from the East Zone will now be extracted and processed first, advancing by an average of 12 years, while ore from the Main Zone has been postponed. "Canada Nickel signs agreement with First Nations for Crawford Nickel Project" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
