Métis Nation of Ontario

Mixed Indigenous-European populations have existed in Ontario since the arrival of fur traders into the northwestern Great Lakes and northeastern Ontario in the 1600s. The two major fur trading companies, the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, both banned employees from having relationships with Indigenous women, but that did not stop some of the men from doing so.[3][4] While many Métis were of French descent, there was a significant Anglo-Métis population around the Great Lakes and James Bay areas. They were the result of marriages à la façon du pays between Indigenous women and English or Scottish fur traders and British soldiers.[5][6] There are historical records of mixed populations that started to live around forts run by these companies, particularly around places such as Sault Ste. Marie,[7] near the present U.S.-Canada border, and along James Bay in communities that today are known as Moosonee and Moose Factory.[6] Some scholars agree that the Métis community in Red River is descended from this group.[8][9]

Whether or not the Métis community in Ontario self-identified as Métis at the time is a matter of serious dispute. The rise in the self-identification of Métis in Ontario today challenges the common narrative that the Métis community developed solely in the Red River area.[8] It can be argued that calling the mixed community "Métis" is an act of placing a colonial label based on racial differences, not on socio-cultural attributes.[9][7] While the concept of Métis as a nation can be linked to the resistances in Red River in 1870 and 1885, the seeds for nationalism were sown in the mixed populations that were pushed into Red River as European settlers advanced westward in Ontario.[7]

The predecessor of the MNO is the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association (OMNSIA), which was created in the 1970s as part of the Native Council of Canada (NCC). The NCC was created by Tony Belcourt and other important Métis political representatives to ensure Métis rights and voices were recognized and heard by federal and provincial governments as the new Canadian constitution was drafted. The Métis Nation Council was created in 1983 as the sole voice of the Métis because they felt they were drowned out by "non-Status Indians" in the NCC. The Métis Nation of Ontario was born in 1994, along with associations in other provinces and territories, to provide a political platform for the Métis population in Ontario. This was first tested in 2003 in the now-famous R. vs. Powley (2003) Supreme Court of Canada ruling that recognized the Métis as Indigenous people with rights to hunt and fish in accordance with their traditional lifestyles and developed a test of Métis identity now known as the "Powley test".[2] This contrasted with a definition developed by the MNO which focuses on self-identification as Métis, having at least one Indigenous grandparent, and whose application was accepted by the MNO.[2][8]

The MNO governance structure is set up in a style similar to a democratically elected, provincial government. It is the only official provincial representative for Métis people in Ontario and seeks to advance the cause of Métis rights and complaints of the people through agreements with the federal and provincial governments. Leaders are elected at the provincial level and for each of the 30 Community Councils every four years which provide regional representation of local Métis communities.[1] The Community Councils serve as the main connection point between MNO citizens and the provincial leadership. Assistance and resources are provided by the MNO to the Community Councils to carry out their mandates and making sure they are managed well.[10] Each Community Council also has a seat for a Youth representative that works with the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council and stands for Métis youth in the region.[11]

The provincial leadership takes the form of the Provisional Council of the Métis Nation of Ontario (PCMNO), which is accountable to MNO citizens at their Annual General Assemblies. It deals with issues and decisions that affect the Métis as a whole throughout Ontario. The PCMNO has an Executive section with five members, nine councilors for the different regions of Ontario, representatives for the youth and university-age segments of the populations, and four senators. The current president is Margaret Froh, who is the first female president of the MNO. A lawyer by training, she has worked previously in Indigenous law and in administration and policy at the MNO.[12]

The four senators are the equivalent of traditional Indigenous elders on the PCMNO. They provide guidance and seek to share Métis culture and traditions with future generations. Senators not only sit on the PCMNO but also on each Community Council.[13]

Other elements of governance in the MNO include a Women's Council, which advocates for women's issues within the MNO and the development of policies and educational resources;[14] a Veteran's Council which represents Métis veterans;[15] the Youth Council which represents the issues and voices of Métis youth in Ontario and organizes conferences and events that bring together Métis youth;[11] and the Cultural Commission which promotes Métis history, arts, and culture, and is registered as a charity.[16]

The MNO got into trouble in November 2018 at the Annual General Meeting of the Métis National Council. It was claimed that 90% of Métis registered with the MNO did not fulfill the requirements of citizenship put in place by the Council in 2002, requiring an ancestral link to the Métis homeland. The borders of the homeland had not been previously agreed upon, though it was generally accepted that it extended into parts of Ontario due to the Powley decision. The 90% figure is often taken out of context, but refers to Métis on the registry with no connection to Red River. As a result, the MNO was placed on probation for one year. A review of the MNO registry is being undertaken with no previous members included based on past membership. The MNO Chair disputes the probation, saying the Council does not have final authority over them. They do not plan on removing any of their members from their registry.[17][18]

The MNO celebrated a major milestone with an agreement signed with the federal government in June 2019, promising the Métis in Ontario more self-governance. This was disputed by certain people within the MNO, including the president of the Sudbury Métis Council, Maurice Sarrazin, who cited the ruling by the Métis National Council the year before as the reason why the MNO is not the best representative for the Métis in Ontario.[18]