The federal government has formally recognized the Aboriginal rights of the North Slave Métis Alliance under section 35 of the Constitution Act.
Ottawa, announcing that recognition on Saturday, said doing so “creates the conditions for clear and constructive communication, respectful partnerships, and real progress and prosperity.”
“With this milestone, Canada and the North Slave Métis Alliance can now engage in collaborative dialogue to clarify how these rights are implemented and exercised going forward,” a news release stated.
North Slave Métis Alliance vice-president Alan Harman Jr. Ollie Williams/Cabin Radio
The announcement “confirms the legitimacy of our community,” said Alan Harman Jr, the vice-president of the North Slave Métis Alliance, at a press conference in downtown Yellowknife.
“Our leaders fought for recognition when few doors were open. Today, we honour their perseverance.”
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Harman said this was “the beginning of a new chapter” advancing shared priorities like protecting land and water, strengthening culture, and creating opportunities for youth.
Recognition took place in December last year but was made public on Saturday.
It had been “decades in the making,” said NWT MP and Crown-Indigenous relations minister Rebecca Alty, paying tribute to past leaders of the North Slave Métis Alliance.
NWT MP Rebecca Alty. Ollie Williams/Cabin Radio
North Slave Métis Alliance President Marc Whitford. Ollie Williams/Cabin Radio
NSMA President Marc Whitford said reaching this point had taken numerous attempts.
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“It’s not like we were in negotiations forever … but rather it took some time.”
Whitford said the practical consequences of recognition are still being explored.
“Coming out of the chute right now, so to speak, we are spreading the word among our membership [and] working with other governments, the GNWT etc, in light of these new developments. We’re a lot better off than we were two or three years ago.”
Whitford said NSMA, incorporated in 1996, will now look toward “self-government in some areas.”
“It’s not all going to come as one big bag of tricks from Santa,” he said. “We will take each piece and see if it fits and works for us and the Crown. That’s what the negotiations are going to be about, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Regarding the Akaitcho Process and how this recognition interacts with the rights of other Indigenous peoples, Whitford said the North Slave Métis Alliance and other Indigenous governments in the region must now find a way to work together.
He said he hopes to “bring together all of us on an accommodation and respect for each other’s right, where we sit.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” he said. “At the same time, it’s not hopeless either … we want to move forward, that’s what it’s about. We want to cooperate with everybody.”
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The NWT government, in a statement, said it “welcomed” Saturday’s announcement.
“Métis people have a long and important history in the North Slave region and across the Northwest Territories. This recognition reflects that history, and the voices of those who have worked for many years to be heard, including North Slave Métis Alliance members,” Premier RJ Simpson stated.
“Recognition matters. It is an important step toward reconciliation, and it underscores the importance of continued progress on the recognition and resolution of Indigenous rights and land claims across the Northwest Territories.”
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