TORONTO—Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare expressed concerns that the federal government recently announced a significant funding allocation to the Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) for conservation and restoration efforts.
“On January 26, the Government of Canada announced funding allocations that are intended to support ‘New Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions’ totaling approximately $12.8 million in investments,” said Ontario Regional Chief Hare. “Within this funding announcement, the MNO has been allocated over $1.3 million to undertake an internal project on this initiative, a project that involves the potential for MNO to acquire lands for conservation and restoration.”
“As the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) have stated countless times, First Nations in the Ontario region have long opposed illegitimate Metis rights assertions in their ancestral and treaty territories,” said Ontario Regional Chief Hare. The COO, “do not recognize the MNO as a legitimate organization, and therefore express extreme disappointment in seeing significant funding being allocated by the federal government to support the MNO’s illegitimate claims to First Nations’ ancestral and treaty territories.”
Ontario Regional Chief Hare said, “Time and time again, COO have been sounding the alarm and raising concerns surrounding MNO’s true intentions. The MNO claims that its Metis Recognition and Self-Government Agreement, and Bill C-53: Recognition of Certain Metis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan and Metis Self-Government Act, will have no impact on First Nations’ treaty and constitutionally protected rights in Ontario and that neither have anything to do with Metis claims to land. This is clearly not true.”
He explained, “Within their brief project outline, the MNO states that they have sought federal funding to support a project, which will ‘develop capacity’ internal to the Metis Nation of Ontario secretariat and its citizens to support future Indigenous-led emissions reductions activities in a variety of ways. This includes the development of internal capacity for carbon accounting, education of Metis Nation of Ontario citizens surrounding the importance of natural climate solutions, and the acquisition of a minimum of 40 hectares of wetlands for long-term conservation and, potentially, restoration.”
“This is simply just the latest example of the MNO further attempting to claim a land base that historically existed in Ontario,” said Ontario Regional Chief Hare. “As the MNO does not have a land base in Ontario, the MNO should not and cannot be arbitrarily given funding to execute projects that affect land-based rights.”
“First Nations rights are land-based rights that are intrinsically tied to the land,” continued Ontario Regional Chief Hare. “Without land, those rights do not exist. The MNO should not be treated as rights-holders by governments, institutions and industry proponents.”
“The MNO’s assertions continue to become increasingly aggressive and have now reached the point where they are directly endangering First Nations and their treaty and ancestral lands,” said Ontario Regional Chief Hare. “In a quote from the MNO’s manager of lands, resources and consultations following the recent funding announcement, it is stated that it has become ‘difficult for Metis citizens to access lands,’ and that this project will ‘provide access’ to these areas.”
“If it was not made clear before, it is extremely evident now, the MNO are proving a clear desire and intention to pursue land,” said Ontario Regional Chief Hare. “These direct quotes are a clear-cut admission from the MNO that they intend to seek claims to land, and therefore wholly contradict their previous claims that they would not seek land bases as a result of the passage of Bill C-53.”
Ontario Regional Chief Hare said MNO further claims that their project will “allow the Metis Nation of Ontario to combat climate change through protecting carbon-rich landscapes and areas with high carbon sequestration potential from being developed.”
“These claims provide direct evidence that MNO intends to impede upon First Nations rights to their own lands and territories and intend to make development decisions on lands that do not and have never belonged to them. These statements from the MNO continue to become increasingly concerning and they cannot be overlooked by Canada, as they continue to force forward their legislation that will provide recognition and legitimacy to these fraudulent claims.”
The recent funding announcement “unveils MNO’s true intention to undermine First Nations inherent, treaty and aboriginal rights. We are hopeful that this will be brought forth to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, where Bill C-53 is currently undergoing study and will serve as direct evidence of the dangers of passing this legislation and stop this bill from proceeding further through the legislative process,” added Ontario Regional Chief Hare.
