The Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) is implementing a constitution to give complete governance and self-determination rights to some 56,000 members of the provincial association.
Eligible Métis people will be voting on the constitution through in-person, online and mail-in ballots during the month of November.
Since 2019, MNA officials have been drafting the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Constitution. In recent weeks, Métis Albertans have had the opportunity to engage with the draft of the document which has been a vision for many leaders in the province for almost a century, said James Cardinal, the MNA Region 1 President.
“We’ve been trying to get our own government, and finally after 94 years we finally get a chance…the important thing that people have to understand is that this is just the beginning,” Cardinal said.
The Métis Nation of Alberta is divided into six zones across Alberta. Region 1 of the MNA includes the Lac La Biche region and runs up to the northern boundaries of Alberta. Region 2 includes the general Bonnyville area. Other regions take in northwest, central and southern parts of the province.
Cardinal's recent conversation about the Constitution came prior to an information session that was scheduled for Lac La Biche last Tuesday. Another session took place in Athabasca on Oct. 18 and a session will be held in Bonnyville on Oct. 28.
“It’s each person's vote to support or not support us—it’s their choice…. Do we have to go to the drawing board again? Or do we move on and start fixing this road that we've created?” he said during an interview with Lakeland This Week on Oct. 14.
By the start of November and the beginning of the month-long online voting process, a dozen information session had been held across the province. Without saying how attendance had been at the meetings, Cardinal again expressed the importance of understanding the document and what it can mean — good and bad.
“Before you vote yes, make sure you know what you're voting for; and before you vote no, also understand what you're turning down and how important our Constitution is for us right as Métis people.”
Constitution
The Constitution has been fully endorsed by the MNA provincial leadership, including long-serving MNA provincial President Audrey Poitras. The draft document was put forward during the 94th Métis Nation of Alberta Annual Assembly in Calgary this past August. The document and vote is an opportunity to put social, healthcare and cultural preservation of the Indigenous people at the forefront, in an effort to reclaim their rights, says Poitras.
Part of the 24-page draft document includes the proposal to create 22 ‘citizens councils’, described as governing bodies of elected local representatives. There is also an option to create ‘district councils’ that will form the provincial network. A judicial branch will act as the replacement for the current executive level, and will uphold laws, according to sections in the proposed draft.
One of the vital parts of the proposed Constitution is the voice and transparency it will give to all Métis members in Alberta, said Cardinal.
“A lot of our members are older, and they’ve been waiting for this for years, and they've been wanting to voice their opinion,” including youth who are vested in the future of the Métis population.
Métis settlements
The Otipemisiwak Métis Government Constitution will offer a framework for Métis people — but it won’t govern the eight Métis Settlements across Alberta. Rather, Buffalo Lake, Kikino, East Prairie, Elizabeth, Fishing Lake, Gift Lake and Paddle Prairie Métis Settlements have the option to work “on terms to be negotiated with the Citizens’ Council and ratified as an amendment to this Constitution,” explains a section of the draft document.
The settlements would still have their separate designated rights as well, according to the draft.
One voice
The unity the Constitution aims to provide between elected officials and the larger Métis population is to create a unified voice, Cardinal added.
“No matter how many voices we hear, in the end, we are one voice. That’s where we have to be.”
As the Constitution is still in a draft format and consultations and discussions continue, Cardinal encourages Métis members to find the answers for themselves.
Eligible voters will be able to vote from Nov.1-30 at 38 in-person polling locations across Alberta. Electronic and mail-in ballots will also be available.
A provincial council election will be held next September if the constitution is ratified by voters.
A detailed copy of the draft Constitution and information on the upcoming information sessions can be found at the Metis Nation of Alberta website.
