The president of the Manitoba Métis Federation is accusing the Assembly of First Nations of misleading people about legislation that would codify the federation’s right to self-government.
MMF President David Chartrand is reacting to AFN criticism of Bill C-21, the first treaty of its kind between the federal government and Métis, which came up for debate in the House of Commons this week.
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Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the legislation threatens to create a hierarchy of rights, with First Nations at the bottom.
She is calling for the bill to be withdrawn and says First Nations were not properly consulted.
Chartrand says that if “anybody would do a little bit of homework,” they would see the legislation does not infringe upon anyone else’s rights and is instead about their internal self-government matters.
He says that despite the criticism, he remains focused on working with the federal government to pass the bill.
Never enough
Just what or who constitutes Metis status? Five percent Aboriginal blood or even less? Possibly there are people with Metis cards at present who have no Aboriginal blood at all just hearsay. Why should mixed blood people have treaty rights in any event? They don’t live on reservations. This entire issue of treaty rights and land ownership is getting ridiculous.
Metis should not self govern. WHY?
They are a club and should not even be considered on the hierarchy of rights.
Even Natives should be on the bottom, and not consulted on items that do not affect their reserves.