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MNC Environment Committee Convenes in B.C.

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Mti s Nat iona l Counc i l representatives from the five Governing Members met on February 21 & 22 to discuss i s sues re l a ted to the environment. The meeting provided an opportunity for MNC National Environment Committee members to exchange information on their respective areas of development, bes t pract ices , common experiences and potential areas of focus for the future.

Governing Members provided an overview of some of the

major environmental initiatives in the i r o rgan izat ion . Governing Members expressed their intention to work more closely and share experiences to assist in the development of more effective processes in such things as mapping, traditional knowledge management, and other go ver nance po l i cy development.

The Mtis National Council r epor ted on nat iona l and inter nat iona l ac t i v i t i e s , inc lud ing updates on our involvement with the National

Aboriginal Council on Species at Risk (NACOSAR), the Land Matter s Group Steer ing Committee of the National Energy Board (NEB), Canadas 2020 Biodiversity Targets, and anticipated effects of the federal budget. International topics of d iscuss ion inc luded Mtis Nation involvement in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The National Environment Committee is looking forward

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to reconvening for additional s t ra teg ic p l ann ing and establishing a greater Mtis presence and voice regarding environmental issues across the Homeland, within Canada and around the world. The MNC Environment Committee plans to meet again in Vancouver on March 15 & 16, 2014.

Current l y, the MNC Environment Committee is

represented by Bruce Dumont, Minister, Natural Resources, Mtis Nation British Columbia (MNBC ) ; Sh i r l ey Benson , Minister of Environment and Water, Mtis Nation of Alberta (MNA ) ; Lennard Mor in , Minister of Lands & Resources, Mtis Nation Saskatchewan (MNS); Ed Charrier, Minister, Env i ronment & Min ing , Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF ) ; Cameron Burgess ,

Minister of the Environment, Mt i s Nat ion o f Ontar io (MNO); and President Clment Chartier, MNC Minister of Env i ronment and Kathy Hodgson-Smith, Chair, MNC Environment Committee.

Draft CSA Registry Standard ready for Public Review ProcessBy Kathy Hodgson-Smith, Chairperson CSA Technical Committee

The Mtis National Council and Canada are currently engaged with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) in an effort to develop a standard for the operation of the Mtis Nation Registries that provides guidance toward consistency and transparency.

The CSA Technical Committee, is comprised of CSA, MNC Governing Member Executive Directors, Senior Staff and Registrars, Canada, MNC and relevant experts. The TC held its fourth meeting this year in Vancouver on February 23-24, 2014. The TC is chaired by Kathy Hodgson-Smith.

Mtis Nation engagement in the CSA process to develop a CSA standard for Mtis Registries, was mandated by the Board of Governors by unanimous motion. The motion reads as follows:

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It was MOVED (Bruce Dumont, MNBC) and SECONDED (Gary Lipinski, MNO)

That the Mtis National Council Board of Governors: a) supports the recommendation of the Mtis Rights Panel (MRP) for moving forward with the CSA Scoping Document and the Standard Setting Process; and further b) accepts the MRP recommendation that there be political oversight of the project management team by the MRP, with the involvement of Executive Directors and registrars with the CSA.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY (2012---01---06)

The process for developing the standard is a CSA process, which provides for the engagement of appropriate experts in areas under consideration. The CSA TC identified numerous experts who have participated in the process: Professor Frank Tough on historical documentation; Genealogists Laura Hanowski and Beatrice Demetrius on the genealogical process; Archivists Jeff Murray, Bill Benoit and Gilles Lesage, on the archiving and storage of files, as well as available historical documentation. We had presentations from the Indian Affairs Registry and from CSA Group experts. We toured the University of Alberta Mtis Archival Project facilities and received presentations on the MNC Historic Database which provides an opportunity for the Registries and the public to access historical documentation in preparation of genealogies and for gathering evidence in establishing Metis identity. The database can be accessed at http://metisnationdatabase.ualberta.ca/MNC/. We also received updates on the work of the St. Boniface Historical Society which holds expertise in the determination of genealogical connections. The SBHS holds significant numbers of Catholic church, Francophone families, and other relevant records to determine Mtis genealogy.

The CSA standard development process requires the establishment of a technical committee, the drafting of a standard, which is then subject to public review. Once public comments are considered, the draft is then considered for publication. Canada has engaged CSA to work with the MNC Governing Members to establish a CSA Standard on Mtis Nation Registry Operations. The work began in 2012 with the development of the terms of reference. The work product has advanced to the completion of a draft standard which will go to public review in the next few months. The goal of the standard is to provide the citizens of the Mtis Nation and our partners with assurances that the registration process aims to be objective, verifiable, transparent, and consistent across the Mtis Nation Homeland.

The next meeting of the technical committee is set for July 8-9, 2014.

http://metisnationdatabase.ualberta.ca/MNC/http://metisnationdatabase.ualberta.ca/MNC/

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MNC appears before the Standing Committee

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February 25, 2014 Ottawa, ON: Mtis National Council Minister of Social Development David Chartrand, joined by advisor David Boisvert appeared before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Sta tus o f Persons wi th Disabilities (HUMA), chaired by Phi l McColeman , MP for Brantford, which wished to hear about the opportunities for

Abor ig ina l per sons in the workforce.

Minister Chartrand began by providing a brief overview of the Mtis people and Nation and the roles of the MNC and its Governing Members. He then went on to outline best practices currently in place within the Mtis Nation as well as other possible solutions with respect to the issues of education and

employment of the citizens of the Mtis Nation. He set out five key points:

1. Federal Aboriginal labour market development strategies must continue to be inclusive of all Aboriginal people Mtis should no longer be excluded from one important element of the ASETS strategy, which is suppor t for Chi ld Care , currently available only to First

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Nations and Inuit

2. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work labour market strategies must be adjusted to the realities of each of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada

3. The Government of Canada must do more to encourage provinces/territories and the private sector to partner with ASETS Agreement holders

4 . There must be some recognition of the rising costs of education and the burgeoning of Aboriginal populations more funding is needed and, rather than cap funding levels, an

escalator should be built into the program

5. A more balanced approach must be taken to the accountability regime imposed on ASETS holders

There is no more important matter for our Mtis people than securing a better future for themselves and their families, Chartrand stated, That is what Aboriginal Market development is all about.

It g i ves us the means to participate fully in the Canadian economy i t i s an a l l -encompassing concept: It is

about education ensuring that our young people complete high schoo l ; i t i s about post-secondar y educat ion and training ensuring that we acquire the skills that will lead to productive employment; it is about job creation ensuring that the jobs are there, especially in our communities concluded Chartrand.

Also in a t tendance a t the hearing were the members of the Mtis Human Resources De ve lopment Agreement (MHRDA) Working Group.

The Mtis Human Resources Development Agreement (MHRDA) Working Group met in Ottawa on February 24 & 25th where they had two days of positive discussion. During the meeting the group discussed the endowment fund policy and the ASETS national conference. The MHRDA Working Group Members will continue their discussion in March this year.

Office of the President

Message from the President

March 8th marks the f i r s t anniversary of the victorious decision of the Supreme Court o f Canada (SCC ) in the Manitoba Metis Federation land rights case under s.31 of the Manitoba Act 1870.

This case is important for a number of reasons, not the least important of which is the recognition by the SCC that the land rights of the Mtis in the original province of Manitoba were not honourably fulfilled. This remains an outstanding obligation owed by the federal go ver nment to the Mt i s encompassed by that decision.

Of g reat s i gn i f i cance and encouragement to the rest of the citizens of the historic Mtis Nation outside of the original postage stamp provin