Northwest Territory Métis Nation signs 'historic' agreement with Métis National Council
CBC
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation has become the only Métis government in the three territories to have a formal relationship with the Métis National Council after both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday in Edmonton.
The agreement is meant to help identify shared priorities and shared areas of interest and help open doors in Ottawa for the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, including to possible meetings with the Prime Minister.
"We're going to be bringing our northern perspective there, which has always been missing from the Métis National Council," said Garry Bailey, president of the Northwest Territory Métis Nation.
Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden said the agreement works toward collaboration and unity in recognizing Métis rights and improving access to vital programs and services.
"I think today is a really historic moment," she said. "We want to stand side by side and support each other and advance issues of prime importance for our people, especially our most vulnerable people."
Bailey said health and Jordan's Principle are among the first issues he hopes to collaborate on with the Métis National Council; He also hopes the two organizations can work together to advocate for the federal government to advance the implementation of the Daniels decision.
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation government represents Indigenous Métis in the South Slave region. It comprises the Fort Resolution Métis Government Council, the Fort Smith Métis Council and the Hay River Métis Government Council.
It is in the process of negotiating a land, resources and self-government agreement with the federal and territorial governments.
Bailey said he expects the relationship laid out by the MOU to focus more on common issues than on advancing the land claim.
"The support that we'll get from the Métis National Council always helps," he said. "But I think we've been on that path a long time, so we know what we're doing at that level."
The Métis National Council is a national advocacy group that supports its member Métis governments in their relationships with the federal government. It acts as a national voice for the Métis nation across the country.
The two bodies have worked together in the past on specific issues and have been working on the MOU for three to four years.
They will revisit the agreement in a year to determine what next steps they want to take.
Pruden declined to confirm whether the Métis National Council is working on similar agreements with other northern Métis organizations at this time.
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