The Metis National Council has high hopes the new Trudeau government will enter into a nation-to-nation relationship with the Metis Nation.
President Clem Chartier said the last decade under the Harper government were lost years.
He said he looks forward to a new nation-to-nation relationship and revisiting the Kelowna Accord with the Trudeau government.
“He’s prepared to re-look at that, better than Harper’s government who said it was written on the back of a napkin and wouldn’t even look at it,” said Chartier. “You can’t expect one hundred per cent, if you get twenty five percent, you know that’s progress.”
The Kelowna Accord was a $5 Billion deal over five years to close the poverty gap that former Prime Minister Paul Martin struck with Aboriginal organizations, Premiers and Territorial leaders.
The Conservatives with the help of the NDP defeated the Bill forcing an election that Stephen Harper eventually won starting his 10-year reign.
Chartier said if the new government wants to show good faith they can start by dropping their appeal of the Daniels case at the Supreme Court.
“And so perhaps there is a possibility to convince the new government to withdraw their cross appeal, vis-à-vis the Metis inclusion of 91 (24) and that would be a strong signal to us that they’re prepared to deal with us.”
In 1999, Harry Daniels filed a lawsuit claiming the Metis and Non-Status Indians should fall under the Constitution and be included under the legal definition of being an Indian.
The Supreme Court reserved its decision earlier this month.