Cabinet minister who's said he's Metis, on a personal journey about his family
CTV
A Manitoba cabinet minister who has described himself as Metis said Monday he is on a personal journey of discovering his background, as new questions were raised about his status.
A Manitoba cabinet minister who has described himself as Metis said Monday he is on a personal journey of discovering his background, as new questions were raised about his status.
Kevin Klein, the minister of environment and climate, made the comments after CBC News reported there is no evidence of Metis or Indigenous ancestors on his mother's side, going back five generations.
"This is about my life, this is about our family's history, this is about a personal process that I want to go through and I will go through alone. And it will not be public," Klein told reporters.
Klein, a former city councillor who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last year and was later elected to the legislature, has previously said he is Metis on his social media and web page profiles. The Manitoba government's listing of cabinet ministers describes him as Metis.
He said he learned years ago of a Metis connection from an uncle on his mother's side who had been granted status by the Painted Feather Woodland Metis in eastern Ontario.
"They gave my uncle a card and others, so I had applied through that and they claimed they did the genealogical work and I had no reason to doubt that," Klein said Monday.
Klein's mother was killed in 1991. His uncle has since died as well.
