Métis Nation celebrates Manitoba 150

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/05/2020 (1593 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One hundred and fifty years ago, on May 12, 1870, the Manitoba Act received royal assent and became law. This Act of the Canadian Parliament made Manitoba Canada’s fifth province, the only province to join Confederation through the actions of an Indigenous people, the Métis. It’s a day to reflect on our past with celebration, but also a day to look forward with hope toward our future.

This year, the Métis Nation, led by the Manitoba Metis Federation, has prepared itself to ensure that Manitoba 150 is celebrated, and the role of the Métis people in bringing Manitoba into Confederation is recognized by all Manitobans and Canadians.

It is our goal to ensure the role the Métis Nation played in creating the beautiful province of Manitoba is both understood and highlighted as Manitobans and all Canadians celebrate this milestone year.

It was through the courage of president Louis Riel and his Métis provisional government in 1869 that the Métis were able to take their place in shaping western Canada’s future. The Canadian government was encroaching westward and had taken the legislative steps to assert its governance over the Northwest without consulting the people of the Northwest.

It was the through the dedicated work of the provisional government and the determination and vision of Louis Riel that democracy would prevail for the people of the new province — no matter what race or creed. Riel made sure French-language and denominational-school rights were protected. He was a defender of minority rights, not just the rights of Métis.

We know all too well that not all the promises of rights in the Manitoba Act were respected. The guarantee of Métis land rights of 1.4 million acres was not honoured, but nonetheless created the opportunity generations later for us to fight for those rights through the courts and win.

We know that we endured a long, difficult period in Manitoba, a time when Métis people were not respected. Riel himself was elected three times to the House of Commons without being allowed to take his seat. In fact, the government of Canada placed a bounty on his head of $5,000.

However, the Métis Nation and the Manitoba Métis government have worked hard to fight for the respect Métis people deserve as the founders of this province. And today, we can express our pride outward to all Manitobans, to Canadians and to the world.

As Louis Riel said in the second session of the Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia on April 26, 1870: “We desire at all times to hear public opinion and, as far as possible, to be guided by it. Our wish is not merely to invite public confidence, but to show ourselves worthy of it by doing what we can to promote the welfare and prosperity of all.”

In the spirit of those words, the Métis Nation vows to continue to work hard for its rightful place in Manitoba and across the Métis homeland, and for the opportunity to build a good life and envision a bright future.

So today, let us remember the efforts, resilience and strength of the Métis Nation, one of Canada’s founding nations, and specifically the Manitoba Métis community that brought Manitoba into being as the fifth province in the Canadian federation.

The Métis Nation and the Manitoba Métis community have so much to be grateful for — we are a vibrant people, united by the relationships with our families, communities and culture throughout the Métis Nation homeland. Our history represents both the trials and triumphs we have faced together and our resilience to look ahead to our future in the beautiful province of Manitoba that we share with all other Manitobans and Canadians.

On behalf of the Métis Nation and Métis people across the Métis homeland, we wish all Canadians a happy Manitoba Day!

David Chartrand is president of the Manitoba Metis Federation.