Metis Leaders To Meet Without MNS Blessing

Metis Leaders To Meet Without MNS Blessing

Friday, June 10, 2005 at 15:30

A call is going out to Metis citizens and leaders across the province to attend a meeting tomorrow afternoon in Batoche.

Don Favel, the president of Metis Local 21 in Ile-a-la-Crosse, says a number of issues will be discussed at the gathering — including the number of economic opportunities Metis have lost due to political squabbling.

Favel feels many funding announcements related to Aboriginal health care and Metis hunting rights have slipped by recently for no good reason.

Favel says issues related to how elections are held and the need for a voter registry will also be discussed.

MNS president Dwayne Roth says while he supports the goals of the local presidents involved, he doesn’t think tomorrow’s meeting will be that useful.

He says the proper forum to deal with those kinds of issues is a Metis Nation Legislative Assembly, which Roth says the province still refused to fund.