Notes from the annual general meeting

Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

Métis Nation of Alberta Region 5 is in a good financial position and moving forward with youth and other programs.

Region 5 includes High Prairie, Slave Lake, Wabasca, Red Earth Creek, Peavine Métis Settlement, Gift Lake Métis Settlement, East Prairie Métis Settlement, surrounding communities, and the bush area north almost to LaCrete. This is separate from the Metis settlement governments, but settlement members can be MNA citizens.

On November 19, Region 5 held its annual general meeting in Slave Lake. At the meeting, 86 voting members were present.

In the evening, Region 5 honoured four people with Métis Elders Recognition Awards. The recipients were Pearl Sandor, Margaret Davis, Nora Chapdelaine (deceased) and Dwayne Calliou (deceased).

In the afternoon, the members had a business meeting to discuss the financial situation, a leadership report, and the Métis constitution.

Financial
The MNA Region 5 is a nonprofit.

The auditor, Reuben Jeffery said that Region 5 was in a “very strong financial position.”

Region 5 didn’t have AGMs during the COVID-19 pandemic, so there were financial statements from four years.

Income from the logging company is paid into a trust owned by Region 5 to avoid taxes.

Region 5 owns (or is a partner in) two for-profit businesses. It owns an economic development corporation. It is also one of three partners in logging company called S11.

At the MNA AGM, Shane Combs, Slave Lake Métis Local president, presented on the development corporation.

Part of the goal of the company is “getting the (Metis) citizens involved in what the industry is doing out there,” he said. Over the past two years, the company has partnered with six business for work bids, of which two were successful. Two Métis youth were hired to do pipeline monitoring and the company will be involved with caribou monitoring going forward. The company is also involved with traditional land use research.

Referring to the traditional land use work, Combs said, “we’ve been here. We have rights. We continue to be here.”

The impact of the proposed Métis constitution on harvesting (hunting, fishing, and plant gathering) rights was one of the questions in the part of the meeting on that topic. The answer was that Métis self-government (and the constitution) would make it harder for the provincial government to change existing agreements and make it easier to push for greater rights.

Leadership
Region 5 has two elected leaders – Elmer Gullion, president, and Hilda Lambert, vice-president. There was no election this year.

Lambert did the report for both of them.

“We’ve done a lot of good work,” she said. “We have a good team.”

During COVID, Region 5 had various support programs for people living within the region. These included food cards and utility relief.

When funding permits, Region 5 also provides some medical assistance and funeral assistance to members. Medical: 2019-20 (10 people), 2020-21 (four people), 2021-22 (29 people). Funeral: 2010-20 (one family), 2020-21 (22 families), and 2021-22 (12 families).

Region 5 also has some programs for Métis people.

Program focuses are based on surveys that ask Métis people in Region 5 what they would like to focus on. Answers include health benefits, hunting, language and culture, protecting the environment, and supporting elders.

During COVID-19, Region 5 received an AHS grant which was used for wellness kits and arts and culture workshops. Workshops included moccasin making, beaded earrings, dream catchers, and fish scale art.

Lambert fielded questions about what services were offered out of the office.

“We’re a political office,” said Lambert. “We have to refer to head office, plus Rupertsland.”

The Edmonton (main) office has housing, Metis harvesting, and other programs. Rupertsland in Slave Lake has a job coach. Rupertsland also helps Métis people with education.

Lambert is pushing to have Rupertsland move into the Region 5 office in Slave Lake.

When this occurs, she hopes to have a client centre set up for people to do their resumes and use computers. At the moment, Métis people have to do this at the Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre.

Region 5 also has an outreach worker who is working to connect Métis citizens with helping agencies in Slave Lake.

A youth coordinator has been hired to work out of the Region 5 office. MNA defines youth as people 10 to 29 years old.

“It’s exciting,” said Lambert. Having a youth coordinator will mean “a lot more things happening for the youth once again.”

Region 5 also has two sub-groups called locals – one in Wabasca and the other in Slave Lake.

One of the Slave Lake members brought up the need to mail out information to people who don’t have email or social media. She said that the local has about 30 members, but there are 500 Métis people living in the area.

Métis constitution
During the month of November, MNA members 16 and older had the right to vote on a Métis government constitution. This was one of the topics discussed at the AGM.

MNA President Audrey Poitras spoke about the Metis Constitution and how over the years people had urged the leadership to “get out of the societies act.”

MNA member Joe Blyan came to the meeting to encourage people to vote yes for the constitution. This is part of the process toward Métis self-government.

Blyan said he attended every general assembly over the last 50 years, and every time, the need for self-government was raised.

“Finally, today we get that opportunity,” he said. “We are responsible… You’re fighting for your grandchildren. We need that constitution to fight back… It’s way overdue.”

Like at the Slave Lake Métis constitution meeting, in October Garrett Tomlinson spoke about the nuts and bolts of the constitution project. He and Blyan also answered questions.

The first question was can it be changed?

Yes, said Tomlinson. “It’s not set in stone by any means.”

“We get a lot of questions like that,” said Blyan. “We’ll make it fancy, believe me.”

The next question was what does a no vote mean.

No means starting the process for self-government over again, said Tomlinson. He’s done this type of work before. One Indigenous nation didn’t succeed their first time through the process and had to wait 20 years for a second chance. There are 700 other Indigenous peoples waiting in line for a chance to negotiate self-government, he added.

The constitution voting ends on Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. the results should be available within hours of that deadline.