An official with the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan says allegations that the organization is rejecting citizenship applications without reason are unfounded.
There is currently an internal battle being waged within the Métis Nation with some members of the provincial council accusing President Robert Doucette and his executive of not following the organization’s constitution.
At a protest in Prince Albert this past weekend, allegations were also made that citizenship applications are being rejected for no reason but Tammy Vallee, a genealogist with the MNS, says all the organization is doing is following the ground rules as set out by the Powley court decision.
“The Powley case set the criteria and the national definition which was adopted, each province adopted it, and it sets out a criteria to follow,” she says. “So, it then becomes more than people self declaring that they’re Métis because they have an Aboriginal ancestor. They brought in that you have to connect to somebody that was historically recognized as Métis within what they classify was the historical Métis homeland.”
Vallee adds it definitely used to be easier to qualify for citizenship by self-declaring at the local level but the stricter rules give the organization more credibility with government and business.
Since the registry began operating in 2009, she says 3,600 Métis citizens have been registered, 384 applications denied and 4,000 applications are currently being processed.
The MNS plans to have an appeal process in place for rejected citizenship applications sometime in the next few months.