Metis Fisher Critical Of Lack Of Support

Metis Fisher Critical Of Lack Of Support

Thursday, June 16, 2005 at 15:11

A Pinehouse man who successfully defended himself on a charge related to Metis fishing rights says he did so without the help of Metis organizations.

Gary Smith was found not guilty yesterday of fishing over the limit, after a judge agreed he had the right to fish as a Metis subsistence fisher.

Smith says he approached the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan for legal help early on in his year-and-a-half-long court battle, but the group didn’t come through for him.

MNS president Dwayne Roth says his organization wanted to help, but they didn’t have the resources to do so after government funding to the MNS was cut off.

Metis National Council president Clem Chartier has said in the past that Metis locals need to renew their financial support for a Metis legal defence fund.