Special President's Message: October 7, 2025
Posted on: Oct 07, 2025
Back in July 2025, I shared a Special President’s Message about where we’re at on our journey to self-government. Today, I want to give you an update on an important milestone we’ve reached with Canada with respect to advancing our Métis rights and self-government agenda.
Our 2023 Self-Government Agreement
When we signed our Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Agreement in 2023, it was really a game-changer. Canada recognized what our Citizens have always known. That the Métis Nation within Alberta is a rights-bearing Indigenous People with the inherent right to self-government.
That agreement confirmed the Otipemisiwak Métis Government is in fact a government and we are protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. It set out our law-making powers over Citizenship, elections, and internal operations. It recognized us for the purposes of An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. Importantly, the 2023 agreement also commits Canada to negotiating a new fiscal relationship and a Self-Government Treaty with us.
For generations, others tried to diminished us by saying we were ‘nothing more than an organization with members’, but Canada now recognizes us a “rights-bearing Métis collectivity”. Even Alberta courts have recognized this.
While Alberta courts have, in the past, characterized the MNA as nothing more than an entity established under the Societies Act, the legal landscape has changed significantly in the last several years. This includes, in 2023, the signing of an agreement between Canada and the MNA known as the Métis Nation within Alberta Government Recognition and Self-Government Implementation Agreement. That Agreement acknowledges that the [MNA] has an inherent right to self-government recognized and affirmed by [Section 35]. (AMF v Alberta (Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, Director), 2023 ABCJ 287)
Our Updated 2023 Self-Government Agreement
In March 2024, the Federal Court of Canada struck down parts of our 2023 Agreement because two Métis groups in Alberta argued that they were included in our Agreement and as a result Canada was unable to negotiate with other groups.
While the Federal Court refused to cancel our 2023 Agreement, the Court directed that changes were to be made to our Agreement and that Canada would have to consult on those changes.
In March 2025, we initialed an updated Agreement with Canada. This updated version tells our story more clearly. It affirms that we only represent our 73,000+ Citizens and the Métis communities in Alberta that are made up of our Citizens. It affirms that the Métis Nation within Alberta is one of the successors to the Historic Métis Nation and recognizes our province-wide “Métis Community”. It also removes references to the Metis Settlements General Council and confirms that nothing in our agreement prevents Canada from negotiating or reaching agreements with other groups.
Canada’s Renewed Commitment to our Updated 2023 Agreement
I am pleased to report that Prime Minister Carney’s government remains committed to our nation-to-nation relationship. This summer, I joined other Métis leaders at the Prime Minister’s Métis Summit to discuss the Build Canada Act. We discussed how we can work together to grow Canada’s economy and help move major projects forward.
And this month, Canada has formally initiated Crown consultations on our updated 2023 Agreement with the Alberta Government, First Nations, the Metis Settlements, and various groups that claim to represent Métis in Alberta. We have asked Canada to allow us to make our initialed agreement public while these Crown consultations are undertaken. Both the full text and a version showing all the changes that we made are available here.
It is important to remember that others do not have a veto over whether our Updated 2023 Agreement will ultimately be signed by Canada. If the Crown consultation process identifies potential impacts on the rights of others, we will work with Canada to address those issues.
It is also important to note that Crown consultation is owed by Canada to others. We do not owe a duty to consult others. Which means, we do not have any control over this process and do not know how long it will take.
I know these legal processes can feel slow and complicated. But make no mistake, we are moving forward. I am looking forward to signing our Updated 2023 Agreement as the next milestone in our self-government journey. If you have questions, please contact your Citizens’ Council Representative or your District Council.
