Metis Nation of Alberta moves forward with vote on draft Constitution

By Lethbridge Herald on August 13, 2022.

The Metis Nation of Alberta held its 94th Annual General Assembly in Calgary last weekend where delegates voted in favour of moving forward with a province-wide ratification vote on its draft Constitution.

Following two-and-a-half years of community engagement with focus groups, community gatherings, written feedback, and previous drafts, the Constitution Commission tabled the new draft with the Assembly, releasing the document on July 26. Proposing a change to the make-up and governance of the MNAA, with the vote in favour the commission can move forward with a province wide ratification vote.

“For generations, we have heard from our elders, citizens and communities that we need to get out from under provincial legislation and govern ourselves based on our inherent right to self-government and Métis traditions and laws,” said Audrey Poitras, president of the MNA, in a press release. “With this draft Constitution, we can now implement what Louis Riel and our ancestors fought for: our inherent right to govern ourselves. I look forward to all our citizens exercising their democratic right to decide on whether we will finally adopt our own Constitution.”

The MNA has been using Alberta’s Societies Act to incorporate associations to act as legal and administrative arms in its Metis self-government structure at local, regional, and provincial levels. However provincial law imposes limitations on corporate structures that have often undermined the exercise of the Metis Nation within Albera’s inherent right to self-government.

In June 2019, the MNA and Canada signed a Metis Government Recognition and Self Government Agreement which formally recognized that the nation within Alberta holds a right to self-government recognized by section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982. The agreement sets out the process for the Constitution draft based on the Metis Nation’s right to self-government in federal legislation.

“With the current federal government, we now have an opportunity to complete what our ancestors fought and died for: to put in place a nation-to-nation, government-to-government relationship with Canada that respects how we have chosen to govern ourselves based on Métis law,” said Poitras. “Having our own Constitution, based on the will of our citizens and Métis law and traditions, is fundamental to advancing our inherent right to self-government as the Métis Nation within Alberta. With this Constitution, we can finally remove ourselves from shackles of Alberta Societies Act.”

There will be a province-wide ratification vote held in the fall of 2022 which includes ballot, mail-in, and online voting. The MNA Constitution Commission will host information sessions to present the draft so all voters are aware of it, along with undertaking a province-wide information campaign to ensure that all of its over 55,000 citizens are aware of the ratification vote and have the opportunity to participate.