MidlandToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following is in response to a letter by Jordyn Payne titled 'Time for Métis, First Nations to 'start a dialogue', published April 28.
I have been very proactive about Bill C-53 since the signing of the agreement between the federal government, Métis Nation Saskatchewan (MNS), Métis Nation Alberta (MNA), and Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) in February 2023 in Winnipeg.
MNO president (Margaret) Froh says with every news release relating to the bill that “Bill C-53 has nothing to do with land or hunting.”
Don’t let that fool you, it all has to do with land and hunting.
The province recently gave MNO $1.3 million of taxpayers’ dollars to purchase land that is rightfully owned by the Indigenous Peoples within their treaty territory.
The areas of land MNO are declaring as part of the six new historic communities are within the Robinson Huron Treaty and the Robinson Superior Treaty. Indian Lands! This was done without historical research by the present provincial government.
My question to both president Froh and the provincial government are you trying to rewrite the Canadian history?
According to the Supreme Court of Canada ruling, it is the obligation of federal and provincial governments and any other organization such as MNO to consult First Nations as the rightful owners of the land since it will have in impact on their treaty lands and territory. Treaties are to be negotiated between nations and MNO, MNS, MNA are not nations.
Jordyn does mention Métis and First Nations should “start a dialogue.”
That time has come and gone, considering what they've done and how they proceeded to have their own negotiations behind close doors with the federal and provincial government excluding the First Nations.
My ancestors before me fought for our rights, fought for our lands that rightfully belong to the First Nations' people. Now to have a group come along and try to take that away like the governments did and is trying again. I will stand alongside our present leaders, stand alongside our peoples in this fight to assure our future generations don’t have to fight for what rightfully belongs to them.
Both the federal and provincial government opened doors not just to MNO, MNS, and MNA, but also to many other non-legit groups that are now coming forth to name a few Painted Feather Woodland Metis (The Ontario Métis Family Records Centre) out of Bancroft, Nation of the Amikwa Nipissing Allies out of Pembroke, Métis Nation of Canada out of Orleans.
Now the Inuit out of northern Quebec are facing the same issue with a non-legit group who originally declared they were Métis of Labrador and have signed an agreement with the federal government declaring they are now Inuit.
Tom Lambert
Nipissing First Nation member
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