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Here, you will read about the Métis and their collective rights as well as how they (the collective rights) came to be. Hope our blog is informative and you will learn a bit!

How Métis are an important part in Canadian Society.

The Métis have been an important part of Canadian society and they also play an important role in Canadian history. It shows how hard and how long it took for the Métis to achieve the rank in Canadian society like they have today. In history, it's never easy to become part of society. It can take a few centuries for nations to build authority,but to achieve the authority, they had to be supported by uprisings, rebellions, battles, and action. In the Canadian history, the Métis have been through experiences like that. The Métis had to undergo a lot to achieve their rights and freedom to become part of society. The Manitoba Act began from the year 1870. The Manitoba Act as well as the treaties were the most important parts of history which kept the hope of all the Métis people. It was the result of the when Louis Riel with armed the Métis that took control of the Red River. Then, between 1871 and 1921, they were issued eleven treaties. All of them were part of the Canadian government's agreement with the Aboriginals. Because of the treaties, they obtained their rights and freedom. The Métis are an important part in Canadian Society because they help change a lots of things in Canadian history.

                               
Louis Riel a "Father of Confederation".
Picture References:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Louis_Riel.jpg/240px-Louis_Riel.jpg
http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=496391

What are collective rights?

Collective rights are rights given to specific groups in Canada for historical or constitutional reasons. These rights preserve and protect ethnic minorities' cultural identities. The Métis are one of those specific groups that have been given special rights that reflect their needs and culture.

Reasons for having collective rights for the Métis

1. The Métis are Aboriginal people too so they should fall under section 35 of the Canadian constitution.
2. The Métis consider their right to land and the right to use it traditionally as inherent rights.
3.  The Métis have always hunted and fished for their food. They should have the right to hunt/fish without the requirement of a licence.

What are the collective rights of the Métis?

What were some of the collective rights of the Métis people?

In 1875-1879, Canada's Government issued a scrip to the Métis. If they did not accept the scrip than they would become "Treaty Indians" under a Numbered Treaty. To the Candaian Government they were not considered as an Aboriginal people and thus they did not require reserves. They  were not given the same rights as First nations. However to the Métis, they saw it as they had the same rights as First Nations as an Aboriginal people. However in 1885 Louis Riel pulled together a group called the Morthwest Resistance which strugled to protect the Métis lands which is now known today as Saskatchewan. The Métis were 100% supportive of this group because they saw this as a way to assert their rights. However the Government of Canada saw this as a way to overthrow their authority.

1938 was the first time, any Government in Canada had provided the Métis with land. The Government of Alberta  passed the Métis Popoulation Betterment Act, which provivded the Métis twelve temporary settlements. But in 1940-1960 the Government of Alberta provided the Métis with land, but they were not given control over the land they were given. When four of the settlements proved to be unsuitable for farming, hunting or fishing, the government of Alberta closed the settlements and the land was taken back.

It wasn't until 1990 that the Government of Alberta enacted a legislation in favor of the Métis, and gave them settlements as a permanent land base. They were also granted the right to manage their own affairs. The legislation included:

• Constitution of Alberta Amandment Act.
• Métis Settlements Accord Implementation Act.
• Métis Settlements Act. 
• Métis Settlements Land Protection Act.

Important Dates to the Achievement of Collective Rights of the Métis

1869-1870: Louis Riel was the president of the Métis. He won both of the cause of booth Métis and Francophone rights in what became western Canada. The provisional government reflected the perspective of Francophone and the Métis Red River. The Manitoba Act was resulted by the Métis Red River Resistance, which wore also passed by the Canada's parliament. With education rights for Catholics, Protestants, and Métis land rights, the Act established Manitoba as a bilingual province. The act specified the Métis would receive more than 500 000 hectares of land in addition to the farms they had established along the Red River. 

1875-1879: Instead of establishing Métis lands in Manitoba,Canada’s government disagreed script to the Métis. Canada's government also gave a choice to the Métis that whether to accept  or to become “treaty Indians” under a Numbered Treaty. Canada's government didn't have the conception of the Métis having as much as  rights to the land as First Nation's had possessed.Whereas the Métis had and have been always judged their rights to the land as aboriginal people.

1885:
       North West resistance protected the Métis land which is now called Saskatchewan. In Canadian history Canadian's had and have different meaning of this occurance.Unlike Red River Resistance, for many Métis it was the way to support their rights.For other ___ including Canada’s government at the time__, it was an attempt to overthrow Canada’s authority. 

Louis Riel also led the Northwest Resistance, which ended in a military conflict between the Métis and Canada’s government. The Métis had sent petitions to Canada’s government about their land right, but the Canada’s government did not respond.

1896-1910: Catholic Church provided land for Métis settlers in which, they established farms at St. Paul des Métis ___ near what is today St. Paul Alberta. The Métis did not have title to this land; however, when the settlement was over, they had to leave.

1938: The Métis Association of Alberta and the Territories of the North - West privileged Alberta's government to set aside land for the Métis. Alberta’s government passed the Métis population Betterment Act in 1938, which established twelve temporary Métis settlements. It was the first time in Canada’s history, the government provided Métis with a land.  

1940-1960: The temporary settlements didn't give the Métis control of the land. When the four settlements didn't approve for farming, hunting, fishing, the settlements were closed and the land came back to the government of Canada.

This picture shows James Brandy, Malcom Norris, Felix Calihoo, Peter Tomkins, and Joseph Dion.
L'Association des Métis de l'Alberta and is now the Métis Nation of Alberta. In 1932, during the Great Depression, the association took the action to help improve the lives of the Métis, because many of the Métis were suffered by depression. It lobbied for Métis settlements, but not everyone agreed on the role land should play in the Métis future.

1982: The Métis lobbied for recognition in Canada's constitution. When the constition has changed (patriated) , it included section 35, which recognizes the Métis as one of Canada's Aboriginal peoples with rights.

Section 35

Constitution Act , 1982

The existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Aboriginal and Treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada are recognized and affirmed.

Aboriginal peoples include the Indian, Inuit, and Métis people of Canada.

1990: Alberta's Government made a bill (enacted) of legislation under where the Métis were given settlements/land where they could sovereign themselves. The legislation included:

• Constitution of Alberta Amendment Act.
• Métis Settlements Accord Implementation Act.
• Métis settlements Act.
• Métis Settlements Land Protection Act.
  
  In addition, the Alberta's Government agreed to establish the right of the Métis to participate in the developement of oil and gas resources on settlement lands.

Métis settlements in Alberta 2007



2003: The Supreme Court decided that the Métis should have the right to hunt and fish. These rights recognize the unique relationship to the land of the Métis, based in history and their inherits rights as an Aboriginal people.

2004: In two separate negotiations, the Métis Settlements General Council and the Métis Nation of Alberta made agreements with the Alberta's government to admit and recognize the hunting and fishing rights of the Métis. The agreements made sure that the Métis could hunt and fish for food, and that they didn't need licenses. In 2007, the Alberta government put rules in place that restricted these rights without agreement from the Métis organizations. Albertans have different perspectives about the Métis' harvesting rights. Some believe in the rights and see them as part of the Métis' heritage as an Aboriginal people. Others believe everyone in Alberta should have the same rights to hunt and fish, under laws and licensing regulations set by provincial government.


2006: In April, the Métis in Manitoba launched a court case seeking repayment for land promised, but not delivered, in the Manitoba Act.

Picture References:
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/riel/riel_poster.gif
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/30/metislanddispersal.shtml
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-old-map-of-western-canada--image4252208
http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/72279ca312e930c9b19737e82ebafad0_1M.png
http://www.xtimeline.com/__UserPic_Large/100635/evt110314092400101.jpg
http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/0f580c88826f0b0cc97aaa087f4356e2_1M.png
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=script+to+metis+by+canada+in+1875&hl=en&sa=G&rlz=1C1GGGE_enCA470CA470&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=tO8pCCOeVGLrGM:&imgrefurl=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/30/metislanddispersal.shtml&docid=yku1riiUtH3iDM&imgurl=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/30/metislanddispersal3.jpg&w=500&h=398&ei=mvsxT8HxDor9iQL_87GGCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=987&vpy=398&dur=2643&hovh=200&hovw=252&tx=153&ty=89&sig=108811115375018745630&page=1&tbnh=166&tbnw=207&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=louis+riel&hl=en&sa=G&rlz=1C1GGGE_enCA470CA470&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=BpBWTdpkXqPVGM:&imgrefurl=http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/riel/index.html&docid=1F0i6AZW_CcNxM&imgurl=http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/riel/riel_poster.gif&w=279&h=425&ei=NvsxT8eCHsmgiQLe--mrCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=635&vpy=314&dur=139&hovh=277&hovw=182&tx=119&ty=125&sig=108811115375018745630&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=93&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=northwest+resistance&hl=en&sa=G&rlz=1C1GGGE_enCA470CA470&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=TpH0vQqJGZOoNM:&imgrefurl=http://library.usask.ca/spcoll/exhibitionsarchive/northwestresistence.php&docid=5yy8npVnTuOBNM&imgurl=http://library.usask.ca/spcoll/images/NortwestResistanceExhibit.png&w=600&h=776&ei=4fsxT5b2DofciQKr8_WwCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=186&vpy=332&dur=347&hovh=184&hovw=142&tx=126&ty=204&sig=108811115375018745630&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=112&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=metis+land+for+the+first+time+in+history&hl=en&sa=G&rlz=1C1GGGE_enCA470CA470&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=RbQWyo-CtoFrfM:&imgrefurl=http://scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/exhibit_metisculture&docid=SnYfli23XXgkLM&imgurl=http://scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/images/metis/large/XIII-197-OurLand-p20-lg.jpg&w=760&h=1044&ei=Rf0xT61UgeKIAuGEucQK&zoom=1

Their thoughts...

What did other people have to say about all of this?

Susan Cardinal Lamouche who was elected secratary of the Métis Settlements General Council in Alberta, had this to say: "The creation of permanent, self-governing settlements for the Métis of the settlements and the government of Alberta. In 1982, a joint government-Métis committee was struck. In 1984, it called for new ligislation to give the Métis Settlements more autonomy. In 1990, we finally had a place we could call home."

In 2007, Audrey Poitras was elected President of the Métis Nation of Alberta had this to say: "One of the fundamental aspects of Métis rights is our ability to define ourselves. It's not up to the government, or non-Métis people, to define who is Métis. Only the Métis Nation itself can make  those kinds of distinctions. The recognition of Métisrights goes hand in hand with the sense of identity for many people. The recognition gives them the the sourage to reconnect with their heritage, and to once again be proud of who they are.It's been a constant battle to have our rights recognized. But one thing we do know: our rights are enshrined in Canada's constitution at a national level.The interpretation of Métis rights falls to the different provinces, and many provinces have a very narrow interpretation of our rights. Although we have come a long way, there's a long way to go."

Gerald Cunningham, president of the Métis Settlements General Council said this: "The most important part for me is that the Métis are now recognized in the Canadian constitution as one of the Aboriginal people in Canada. Métis people are now proud of who they are. A lot of people did not identify themselves as Métis before, but you can see from the 2006 census of Canada that more people are coming forward as Métis. Over the past decade, the Métis population was the fastest growing Aboriginal group, up 72 percent in Alberta and more than 90 persent in Canada. At the present time, the box labelled " Métis rights in Canada" only contains harvesting rights. Métis across the country have to work together to fill that box up and further define our Métis rights."

Quote references:
http://www.nelson.com/albertasocialstudies/productinfo/gr6_9/documents/abss9ch4draft.pdf

How Collective Rights have enhanced the Métis identity.

The collective rights given to the Métis people have enhanced the group's identity by allowing them to live traditionally like they always had many decades before. Granted these rights, they were given their own land, the right to harvest, and live as they did before. They were given autonomy/authority to sovereign themselves. Although their right to hunt and fish without the requirement of a licence is restricted in Alberta, these other rights protected their identity and way of life.

Picture reference:

http://members.shaw.ca/mno-ssm/metis-info/metis-flags.htm



Thank you for reading our blog and we hope you learned a bit about the Métis and their collective rights!