tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264480973490444698.post3316342025688031687..comments2023-11-08T12:19:34.227-08:00Comments on David Bouchard: Proud to be Metis David Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049780766596623527noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264480973490444698.post-12524969934388121472019-02-04T18:41:32.069-08:002019-02-04T18:41:32.069-08:00"Unknown"
We don't normally reply [..."Unknown"<br /><br />We don't normally reply [or give credence] to someone who hides their name in anonymity. However, because you have attacked an icon who is highly respected across Canada by many Metis people and who is also recognized nationally and internationally for what he does both for Metis and other Indigenous Peoples we are making an exception. We could take issue with many of your points, but will give you our abbreviated views.<br /><br />First of all, we should tell you George's Red River Metis ancestry goes back over two hundred years, and there is no one whose Red River Metis ancestry exceeds his [although some may equal it].<br /><br />You are likely unaware of David Bouchard's sterling background. He has been honoured at the highest levels [in Canada]. A few examples are: he is a recipient of the Order of Canada, a Governor General's Award, and an Honourary Doctorate from a prominent Canadian University for his achievements etc. [What Metis politician today can match that].<br /><br />As for Metis status, your comments are all based on the so-called Metis Homeland []essentially the Prairie Provinces]. The Historic Metis Homeland concept is a restrictive, relatively recent, concept ill-defined by a few dozen Metis politicians in 2002. [Before that, the Metis National Council (MNC) draft was even more restrictive]. Their restrictive definition is, of course, the right of the MNC and its five provincial affiliates, since they can determine who can become their members for their own organizations. But, it does not give them the right to say their members are the only Metis in Canada and no one else is Metis. [We know a number of so-called Homeland Metis who simply do not want to be involved with the MNC. These include Ernie Blais, the founder of the Indigenous Peoples Association of Manitoba, and we believe one of its members Yvon Dumont, former Lt. Gov. of Manitoba. Both Blais and Dumont are past presidents of the Manitoba Metis Federation, an MNC affiliate].<br /><br />Perhaps you are not aware of the landmark unanimous decisions concerning Metis made by the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) in the 2003 Powley case and in the 2016 Daniels case. Powley dealt with s. 35 of Canada's 1982 Constitution, and Daniels dealt with s. 91(24) of the 1867 Constitution.<br /><br />In the 2003 case, the Powleys (father and son) were accepted as Metis by the SCC. They and their Metis ancestry were from Sault Ste. Marie, hundreds of kilometers to the east of the arbitrary designated map of the Homeland arbitrarily adopted by the MNC in 2018. Notwithstanding this, the MNC intervened on appeal of Powley who were not Metis within their ill-defined definition or arbitrary map.<br /><br />With respect to the Daniels case, the late great Harry Daniels was born within that map area in Regina Beach, Saskatchewan. He was the person who spearheaded ensuring that the Metis were included in s. 35, and under s.91(24) of the Canadian Constitution. [He might be called a modern day Louis Riel. He caused the Metis to be twice included in the Canadian Constitution, Riel (in no way to detract from him) did so only once. However, Daniels was not president of the MNC. Rather, he was a longtime president of the Native Council of Canada, later the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP), which both served Metis and Non-Status Indians from across Canada, not just the "Homeland". It was Daniels and CAP that brought the s. 91(24) case, not the MNC. Daniels is on record as stating in effect that in having the Metis included in s.35 he did not mean to restrict Metis to any particular geographic area, and so advised the president of the Labrador Metis Association [which still exists today]<br /><br />These two cases should be read by you in detail. Nowhere, nowhere is there any mention in either of an Historic Metis Homeland. <br /><br />We could carry on with many more pages. However we are not doing so, and we will have no further comments to add or reply to any.<br /><br />LONG LIVE THE METIS<br /><br />George and Terry Goulet<br />David Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04721551419621252346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1264480973490444698.post-62260502619942417652019-02-04T18:37:29.996-08:002019-02-04T18:37:29.996-08:00Dear Unknown...
I rarely receive comments that a...Dear Unknown... <br /><br />I rarely receive comments that are not some form of spam. So when I received yours, I realized that I had best delete the few hundred that had stacked up over time. In so doing, I unintentionally deleted yours. I am sorry. ...For readers, unknown's comment was not disrespectful, in fact it was kind. He/she wanted to make it known that he/she did not accept my definition of Metis. He/she recognizes my Indigenous bloodlines but told me to stop misleading people by claiming to be Metis. I trust this is the essence of your reply. ATB David Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04721551419621252346noreply@blogger.com