By Audrey Poitras, President, Métis Nation of Alberta
On November 16th, 1885, Louis Riel was executed for his role in standing up for Métis lands and rights, including, the Métis Nation’s inherent rights of self-government and self-determination.
After 135 years, our Métis self-government here in Alberta is stronger than ever. And we are closer than ever to finalizing the nation-to-nation, government-to-government relationship with Canada that Riel and our ancestors envisioned.
In 2019, the Métis Nation of Alberta signed a precedent-setting self-government agreement with Canada. In this agreement, Canada recognizes that we represent the Métis Nation within Alberta and that we hold the inherent right of self-government.
Since then, we have been working hard to develop a draft constitution to be brought to all our citizens for their input and ultimately their ratification through a province-wide vote.
Our constitution will be the foundation for Métis government for generations to come.
Our constitution will be grounded on Métis laws, customs and traditions, not corporate bylaws.
Our constitution and our self-government agreement will also ensure that we can improve the lives and economic, cultural and social wellbeing of all our citizens, families and communities for generations to come.
But in order to build this better future, we need to work—together.
Our constitution needs to be developed for our citizens and by our citizens. We need you to take the time and get involved in order to make the dreams of Riel and our ancestors become a reality.
We want to hear from everyone throughout this process.
In the coming months, we will be reaching out to all our citizens to begin this important conversation about our constitution.
If you have not already done so, please visit AlbertaMétisGov.com and provide your contact information so you are kept up to date. You can also call into the MNA Head Office at 1-800-252-7553 to update your registry file with your most current contact info.
Together, we will build a strong Métis Nation based on Métis rights!
