As a follow-up to the July 7 signing of the historic harvesting rights agreement between the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Sunset Country Métis hosted an information session here Friday night to update area Métis.
MNO president Tony Belcourt told the roughly 100 people on hand at the Ukrainian Hall that the MNO has begun to send out harvesting cards.
He noted 600 have been printed so far, with another 400 put on hold “because there’s something the registry needs to talk to that person about.”
“If someone hasn’t gotten their card, they’re going to be getting a call from the registry office,” Belcourt said, adding the applicant may have incomplete documentation proving their Métis status, simply left out a minor detail, or forgot to send along a photo of themselves.
“The demands on the registry are really huge,” said Gary Lipinski, chairman of the MNO provisional council and chief negotiator in the harvesting agreement.
“They have to go through every file,” he remarked. “If you’re missing documentation, it’s not their job to find it. It’s your job.”
Belcourt noted any Métis who has applied for a harvesting card can find out the status of their application by calling 1-800-263-4889.
He also showed off one of the new cards, noting that like any official piece of identification, such as a driver’s licence, it is made with built-in safeguards to prevent counterfeiting.
When asked if there’s been a survey on how many people in Ontario are eligible for a harvesting card, Lipinski said the MNO wouldn’t know until those people come forward.
In 2004, for instance, the MNO only will issue a maximum of 1,250 cards. But that number could increase in 2005 if there is a demand for it.
Another question regarded the “mobility” of harvesting rights. For instance, when will a person living in this area, but with Métis roots in Manitoba or North Dakota, be able to exercise harvesting rights here?
“It’s a problem,” admitted Lipinski. “We often said the Powley case would not solve all our problems, but it did give us the best foundation we could ever have.
“It’s a complex issue.”
Brent Calder, Sunset Country Métis office manager and president of Métis Ventures, noted First Nations people who move away from their traditional territories are in the same dilemma.
He added it’s common for Métis from other areas (even as far away as Tampa, Fla.) to come into the office here and ask if they can apply for a harvesting card.
Of course, they have to be turned away. “We don’t doubt you’re Métis, but there are regulations,” said Calder.
Belcourt noted that down the road, mobility of rights for Métis—both across Canada and the U.S. border—will be a discussed, but that it first will require “research and negotiations to address these types of issues.”
The agreement reached with the MNR back in July states that so long as the cardholder is harvesting food in their traditional territories, and not for resale, “traditional, regular harvesting activities will not be subject to fines and seizures,” Lipinski said.
The MNO also agreed to certain restrictions in the two-year interim deal, including seasonal restrictions, Lipinski noted, adding big-game hunting only takes place from September to December.
The MNO also pledged not to take fish that are spawning or in sanctuaries, as well as agreed to an internal investigation of the harvesters’ card registry system during the two-year deal.
“This means the MNO will have an independent evaluator come in and evaluate how harvester cards are issued, and the fact that we have supporting documentation on file to prove the claims,” Lipinski explained.
The agreement works in conjunction with the existing Interim Enforcement Policy that was established between the province and First Nations in 1991.
Belcourt said the July 7 agreement has given Métis recognition in Ontario, and harvesting rights only are the beginning of co-operative efforts between the MNO and other agencies and levels of government.
“There’s a genuine interest in who we are and our history. People want to know, our own people want to know,” he remarked. “I’ll bet the next decade is going to be phenomenal for us.”
Belcourt noted so much of the past 12 years has been about fighting for harvesting rights and, in turn, recognition, and now that the MNO has that, the Métis people next have to do some stock-taking and think more about education, health care, and relationships with First nations, such as Nishnawbe-Aski.
He added now is the time for Métis to come together, as well as compile their family histories and traditions, photos and, if possible, sound recordings, so they can be shared and passed on to future generations.
Belcourt noted the MNO’s website is constantly updated and soon may include a Métis hall of fame feature. He encouraged all Métis to check it at www.metisnation.org
The information session was preceded by a free fish fry dinner and followed by a social featuring “The Midnight Jammers.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
