Metis Rights Defence Fund Drying Up

Metis Rights Defence Fund Drying Up

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 13:18

The president of the Metis National Council says it might be time to once again push for contributions to the Metis Rights Defence Fund.

The fund was established in 1993 to help defray legal costs associated with arguing Metis hunting and fishing rights in the Saskatchewan court system.

Clem Chartier says over the last couple of years, only the Metis local in Buffalo Narrows has been donating money to the fund — usually on a monthly basis.

With a major Metis fishing rights trial set to take place in Fort Qu’ Appelle this fall, Chartier feels the time might be right to approach other Metis locals about helping advance the cause.

The idea to create a Metis Rights Defence Fund came from late Metis senator Louis Morin, who noticed that Metis charged with harvesting infractions rarely had the money to properly defend themselves in the courts.