Ottawa, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Under the leadership of newly elected President Victoria Pruden, the Métis National Council (MNC) reaffirms its commitment to supporting its Governing Members through a clear and focused vision.
The MNC will continue to advocate to advance the priorities and interests of its member Métis Governments as a National Indigenous Organization. The MNC remains a key partner to Métis Governments, the Government of Canada, other National Indigenous Organizations, and other partners.
"The Métis National Council exists to support and uplift Métis Governments, ensuring they have the tools, resources, and collective strength needed to implement self-government, advance their mandates, and fully serve the Métis citizens they represent," said Victoria Pruden, President of the MNC. "Together, we are stronger, and together, we will continue building a brighter future for the Métis Nation."
In recent years, the MNC has been pushing back against an active campaign by Manitoba Metis Federation (“MMF”) leadership to distort its vision, purpose, and mandate.
In 2020, four of the five MNC Governing Members (i.e., MNO, MNS, MNA, and MNBC) turned to the courts to ensure democracy and transparency were respected within the MNC. At this time, the MNC was largely solely controlled by MNC President Clem Chartier and MMF President David Chartrand (as the self-appointed “MNC Vice-President”).
Presidents Chartier and Chartrand refused to convene any meetings of the MNC Board of Governors, unilaterally extended Mr. Chartier’s term, and refused to provide even basic financial disclosures or accountability to the MNC’s Governing Members. Along the way, Mr. Chartier also failed in his campaign to be elected as MN-S President.
On the cusp of a court directed MNC General Assembly being held in September 2021, the MMF’s leadership decided to withdraw from the MNC, likely knowing that the MNC Vice President Chartrand’s complete control of the MNC was coming to an end. In 2022, the MNC initiated litigation against Chartier, Chartrand, the MMF, and others based on a series of actions and financial transactions that occurred prior to the MMF leaving the MNC. The trial on this matter is scheduled for January 2025.
The MNC understands that it’s the Métis Governments that are the mandated representative voices of Métis within their respective provincial jurisdictions. The MNC’s role is not—and was never—meant to be a top-down decision-maker, government, or representative body.
Under the Board of Governors’ leadership, the MNC will continue advancing its inclusive and ambitious vision with renewed focus, evolving its bylaws and practices to further clarify Métis Governments’ representative jurisdictions, and deepen collaborations with the MNC’s many national partners.
As the Métis Nation enters a period where Métis self-government treaties become the new normal, there is a need to reimagine and reinvent the MNC to be an NIO that meets the needs of Métis governments as modern-day treaty holders.
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Since 1983, the Métis National Council has been the national and international voice of the Métis Nation within Canada. Through the Canada-Métis Nation Accord, the MNC advocates on behalf of its Governing Members to advance Métis rights and interests within their respective jurisdictions, including the implementation of the Métis Nation's inherent right to self-determination and self-government. The MNC is committed to accountability and transparency within its operations, and to its relationships with MNC Governing Members.
