Red River Métis sign historic self-governance treaty with federal government
By Thomas Knight, January 12 2025—
The Manitoba Métis Federation has officially signed a historic self-governance treaty with the Federal Government of Canada.
On Nov. 30, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree met with President of the Manitoba Métis Federation David Chartrand to sign the treaty in Winnipeg. The ceremony was attended by delegates and citizens of the Red River Métis as well as the Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew.
The event is a culmination of agreements made in the wake of a 2013 Supreme Court decision that established Canada’s failure in fulfilling its duties towards the Métis.
Today’s treaty formally recognizes the right to self-determination held by the Red River Métis, otherwise known as the Métis nation or the Manitoba Métis. Most significantly, the treaty affirms the Aboriginal rights of the Métis people that have been set out in section 35 of Canada’s Constitution.
This means that the Red River Métis now have a treaty with the federal government that reflects the true spirit and intent of the Manitoba Act signed in 1870. This piece of legislation was meant to give the Métis more autonomy with its promises of land and language rights and economic opportunities, and culminated in the creation of the province of Manitoba as an intended way to give the Métis nation representation in Parliament.
The government at the time, however, never followed through with the treaty in its entirety, especially with respect to Métis land rights.
Instead of receiving the guaranteed 1,400,000 acres of land, Métis individuals were issued scrip, a legal document that entitled them to future land rights. But the system was overly complicated, disorganized, and presented the Métis with many barriers to receiving their guaranteed land.
Today’s treaty honours the original commitments of the Canadian government, after 154 years of not following through. In the words of the Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, the occasion of the treaty signing was “a monumental day for reconciliation”.
The new treaty, in designating the Manitoba Métis Federation the government of the Red River Métis, establishes a government-to-government framework for addressing past grievances as well as future Aboriginal rights issues. This is important as the federal government moves forward with the journey to reconciliation, which includes, among other points, building new relationships with Indigenous communities on a nation-to-nation basis and treating them as self-governing entities with the rights due to all Indigenous peoples around the world under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
Just how the provisions of the new treaty will play out remain uncertain. Although lacking in specific policy measures, the treaty facilitates future agreements for benefits relating to health care, land rights and economics, agreements which can now be negotiated on a government-to-government basis.
The treaty is seen as a significant step. However, for the treaty to be fully recognized, it must be ratified by Parliament and put into law. With a federal election happening this year and a potential change in government, this process may be delayed.
The Manitoba Métis Federation has expressed strong determination to continue its efforts.
“[W]e will pursue something that’s rightfully ours, and no matter how long it takes, we will never give up. We will try and try and try,” said Manitoba Metis Federation President David Chartrand.
Learn more about the significance of this treaty and what it means for the future of the Red River Métis here.