Karole Dumont of the Council of the First Metis People of Canada says the memorandum of understanding between the two groups is "fear mongering" and an attempt to "raise the Mi'kmaq against the Metis" - many of whom she says share the same ancestors.

A press release about the meeting says there is a growing and divisive trend across Canada of people self-identifying as Metis — especially in Eastern Canada.

The sudden proliferation of self-reported Metis in Eastern Canada has emerged as a profoundly divisive debate. Many use identity cards that look much like Indian Status cards. Others have tried to claim Indigenous rights through the courts, fuelling a perception that the aboriginal newcomers are so-called rights grabbers.