United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues held in New York City T he 10th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UN PFII) met in New York City at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters with hundreds of Indigenous peoples from around the world participating. The session was preceded by meetings of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus and the International Indigenous Youth Caucus. President Chartier was one of the Indigenous leaders who addressed the youth on Sunday, May 15 th explaining some of the earlier experiences encountered by Indigenous peoples engagement with the United Nations since the opening of space within the UN in the 1970s. President Chartier encouraged the youth to continue their involvement, whether as part of the UN apparatus or as leaders within their respective nations. As an example, he pointed out that both he and fellow panel member, Jose Carlos Morales of Costa Rica were past Presidents of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples and that Jose Carlos in the mid-1980s joined the human rights institutions of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the UN and is currently serving his second term on the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, while President Chartier, is a leader within the Métis Nation, serving as the President of the Métis National Council. President Chartier also attended the first 3 days of the Forum and the noon side event on Indigenous Governance and Economic Development hosted by the governments of Canada and the United Above: President Chartier (right) with Jose Carlos States of America, with Morales at the International Indigenous Youth Caucus. a panel composed of Below: Inside the United Nations Headquarters in NYC First Nations/Indian representatives from both Canada and the USA. During the question and answer period President Chartier had an opportunity to state that the only path to success in Canada is by the federal government abiding by s. 35 of the Constitution Act 1982 and dealing with economic development and governance on a nation-to-nation, government-to-government basis. In this connection President Chartier referred to the 2008 Métis Nation Protocol between the Métis Nation and Canada, which was the basis of the Métis Economic Development Symposium (MEDS) Continues on next page
Continued from Page 1 UNPF II & International Indigenous Youth Caucus Meeting process as a good starting point. According to Chartier, this builds on a distinctions based approach, and is an example of why governments must back away from, or abandon, their pan- Aboriginal approaches, such as the Urban Aboriginal Strategy which runs counter to true Indigenous selfgovernment. The report of the Forum will be made available soon, and the date set for the11 th session of the Forum is May 7 to 18, 2012. I hope you enjoy the photographs that were taken during these meetings of the many Indigenous peoples I had the opportunity to attend with. - President Chartier
O n May 10th I attended a meeting of senior officials of the Métis National Council and the Governing Members, basically the Executive Directors, Chief Administrative Officers, or whatever title they go by. The morning session was very refreshing and interesting as it involved a free wheeling dialogue about the importance of the Métis Nation leadership - both the elected leaders (the Presidents who form the MNC Board of Governors, and the respective Boards or Council Members from the Governing Members who make up the MNC General Assembly) - and senior officials of the Métis governments all working collectively in pursuit of the rights and well-being of the Métis Nation and people. While this is not a new expression, the dynamic and passionate statements breathed new life into the important initiatives the MNC and Governing Members are Message from the President jointly pursuing to advance the Métis Nation agenda. Initiatives such as building on the registries of the Governing Members toward a national acceptance process and Métis Nation Registry; developing a Métis Nation constitution to steer our governance in the 21st century; working with the federal government to reform the financing of our governments; and collaborating with the federal government and five provinces to make further progress on Métis economic development. This for me was certainly very encouraging, particularly in light of the recent federal election which has provided the country a majority government which can now concentrate on governing without having to worry about being defeated. The commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by our senior officials, together with the solid relationship we have built with the federal government over the past three years through the Métis Nation Upcoming National Events Protocol, certainly point to progress in moving our agenda forward with the newly elected government. I look forward to this same kind of discussion with the elected leadership as we embark on our journey in the Decade of the Métis Nation. This is our opportunity to make real and meaningful progress on behalf of those people we represent and serve. Board of Governor s Meeting June 14-15 Vancouver National Aboriginal Women s Forum June 15-17 Vancouver MHRDA Working Group Meeting June 16 & 17 Kelowna Back to Batoche July 21-24 Batoche Métis Nation Health Committee July 25-26 Saskatoon
Métis Nation Welcomes Reappointment of Minister Duncan M étis National Council President Clément Chartier has written to the Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, to congratulate him on his reappointment to that portfolio. During the election campaign, the Conservative Party reaffirmed the importance of the Métis Nation Protocol as the basis of the government s productive relationship with the Métis Nation, stated President Chartier. I wrote to the Prime Minister soon after May 2, expressing my hope that the continuity and stability offered by a majority government would enable Canada and the Métis Nation to make further strides. Today s reappointment of Minister Duncan marks a first step in that direction as he and I have developed a very collaborative relationship in our joint efforts under the Protocol to enhance opportunities for Métis people. President Chartier also commended Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his appointment of two Aboriginal Cabinet members, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Peter Pensahue. Moreover, the Métis National Council supports the renaming of the Ministry of Indian and Northern Affairs to the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, a change that better reflects the scope of the ministry s relationships with First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation. Species at Risk meeting held in Canada s North The National Aboriginal Council on Species at Risk (NACOSAR) met in Iqaluit, Nunavut at the invitation of the NACOSAR member representing Inuit. Raymond Laliberte, of Buffalo Narrows, SK is a member of NACOSAR. Yvonne Vizina is a member of the Policy and Planning Committee of NACOSAR. Over the past few years, NACOSAR meetings have been held in a variety of locations to provide an opportunity for local Aboriginal community members to provide insight into species at risk issues in their areas. At this meeting, time was allocated for an overview of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. s regional work on species at risk by James Eetoolook, Vice President of NTI; Gabriel Nirlungayuk, Director of Wildlife and Environment; Glen Williams, Wildlife Consultant; and Paul Irngaut. Gabriel is also a member of the COSEWIC Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittee. The NTI group provided insight into three case studies, including: Peary Caribou and Dolphin/Union Caribou, Cumberland Sound Beluga and Polar Bear. The next meeting is scheduled for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan July 21-23, 2011 coincidentally coinciding with Back to Batoche Days.
President Chartier goes to Peru: Habla español? P resident Chartier recently travelled to Peru to take Spanish language lessons, and pursue the Métis Nation s relationship with Indigenous peoples in Latin America. The choice to study Spanish in Peru resulted from a January 2011 invitation by Hugo Tacuri to President Chartier to visit Peru and discuss the potential for the creation of an Indigenous leaders organization in the Americas. This discussion took place in Washington DC where both President Chartier and President Tacuri of CONAIP, a national Indian organization in the Peruvian Andes were attending a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) on points of negotiations on the draft declaration of the rights of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. President Chartier used his last week in Peru to travel to a number of Indian villages with President Tacuri and participated in a number of meetings with both traditional and municipal Indian leaders who all expressed an interest in continuing a relationship with the Métis Nation. There was also strong support for the formation of an America s wide Indigenous leaders organization, where information could Left: President Chartier meets with President Hugo Tacuri in Peru where they visited many villages and participated in meetings. President Chartier speaking at the Saturday consultation workshop. Next to President Chartier is Interpreter Pedro Huamani, while seated wearing the colourful scarf is newly elected congressman, Walter Acha. be exchanged, policies developed and collective action undertaken. This was particularly so with respect to the quest by Indigenous peoples from the Americas to have a meaningful space with the Organization of American States similar to that accorded to Civil Society, Youth, Labour and Workers and the Private Sector. MNC has a new website! Check out www.metisnation.ca Have a question? Email info@metisnation.ca
Métis Nation Health Committee Update (Back L-R) Senator Rita Gordon, Tanya Davoren, Allan Morin, Cheryle Troupe, Lissa Smith, Wenda Watteyne, Eduardo Vides (Front L-R) Lisa Pigeaut, Sheila Carter, Marielee Nault M étis Nation Health Committee members gathered in Ottawa on May 25-26 to touch base on the movements since their meeting in early March. They provided feedback on the draft Strategic Action Plan being developed, which identifies and outlines key priorities and actions, which will be used at the national level to leverage the efforts of the entire Métis Nation. Although, each Governing Member has it s respective Health ministry and process, this strategic plan will include the input and best interests of each of the Métis National Council s affiliates. The Committee was also given a presentation on Curbing Childhood Obesity from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) where the Committee was asked to share their thoughts and they were ensured that every effort to include Métis-specific information would be pursued. On the second day, the Métis Nation Health Committee met with the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The group was asked to reflect on Métis Mental Health issues, identify priorities for Mental Health for Métis people in Canada as well as determine expectations for Métis engagement and involvement moving forward. MHRDA Meets; Director General Attends The MHRDA Working Group met in Toronto on May 19 & 20th where they had two days of positive discussion. Human Resources and Development Canada, Aboriginal Affairs Director General Catherine Adam participated which reaffirmed HRSDC s support in Métis lead projects. During the meeting the group discussed the endowment fund policy and the possibility of hosting a national conference. The MHRDA Working Group Members will continue their discussions in Kelowna, BC on June 16 & 17th.
Centre for Métis Research Opens at the U of A O n May 31st, the Ruperstland Institute as well as the Centre for Métis Research at the University of Alberta held their Grand Openings and Open House. Rupertsland is an academic centre under the Faculty of Native Studies at the Edmonton based university and is a dream project that has been pursued by the Métis Nation of Alberta for the past decade. The affiliation between the MNA and UofA is the first of it s kind in the country and the Centre for Métis Research will do exactly what it s name says: be a centralized home for Métis-specific research, something that did not exist prior to its inception. The goals and objectives of the research centre will include: building provincial and national connections with the Métis community; building research capacity to advance Métis-specific research and to train or employ student researchers. The Centre expects it s research areas and themes to include the institutional deficit in Métis education; social indicators of the contemporary Métis population land use and resources; historical research and Métis rights; and the idea of a public policy Think Tank. Photo courtesy of Rupertsland Institute Métis Crossing Opens for 2011! Métis Crossing opened it s gates again this year during the Victoria Day long weekend. Enjoy photos from it s season opener. The site offers camping, zip-lining and the story of our evolving culture. Métis Crossing is located in Smoky Lake, Alberta and is open through the September long weekend.