The Métis Nation of Ontario The Statement of Prime Purpose
& The Métis Nation Constitution
Overview
The Statement of Prime Purpose articulates the goals and aspirations of the Métis Nation of Ontario. These values and principles are the fundamental building blocks that set out the core values of the Métis Nation. The MNO operates in accordance with a developing constitution, which includes the Statement of Prime Purpose, the MNO Secretariat by-laws, the MNO Electoral Code, the MNO Community Charter Agreements, and the Métis Nation Rules of Order. The Métis Nation of Ontario supports the development of institutions of self-government for the Métis and advocates their distinct interests.
Gary Lipinski, MNO Chair at time of interview and now President, talks about what the Statement of Prime Purpose is.
"The paternal ancestors of the Metis were the former employees of the Hudson Bay Northwest Fur Companies, and their maternal ancestors were Indian women of the various tribes.
The French word "Metis" is derived form the Latin participle mixtus, which means "mixed", in French "male", it expresses well the idea that is sought to be conveyed
However appropriate the corresponding English expression "Half-breed" might have been for the first generation of the mixture of blood, now that European blood and Indian blood are mixed in every degree, it is no longer general enough.
The French word "Metis" expresses the idea of mixture in the most satisfactory manner possible, and thus becomes a proper race name. Why should we care to what degree exactly of mixture we possess European blood and Indian blood? If we feel ever so little gratitude and filial love toward one or the other do they not constrain us to say: "WE ARE METIS!"
- Louis Riel, 1885
WHO WE ARE AS A PEOPLE
We, the Metis are a people of the lands which gave rise to our history and tradition and culture.
We call those lands the Metis Homelands. The Homelands stretch from the lakes and rivers of Ontario; cross the wide prairies; traverse the mountains into British Columbia and into the northern reaches of the Northwest Territories. They include the hills and valleys of the north-central American States.
These are our lands. They are Metis lands. They are the lands of our past which nurture us today and which we value as the precious foundation of our future.
As Metis who live in the Homelands, we hold it to be a fundamental truth that we are one of the Aboriginal peoples of the Americas.
The Metis Nation continues today to be the embodiment of our past, the source of sustenance for our present while giving rise to our hopes and aspirations for the future.
We are a Nation, born of independence, and self-sufficiency whose teachings are founded on the values of honesty and truth. We are proud of our rich heritage. We are inspired by the values and traditions of our ancestors. The strength of our society is based on democracy, freedom, fairness, equality, generosity, justice and the customary and written law of our people. Above all, we cherish harmony and peace.
As Aboriginal people we hold sacred the rights of the individual and of the collective. We have respect for each other, for the land and for the animal and plant life that surrounds us. We are people who honour and respect the family, our elders who hold the key to the past, and our children, who are our future.
Guided by our spiritual values we aspire to attain our highest potential.
NOW THEREFORE WE DECLARE AS FOLLOWS
We, the Metis Nation, are a distinct Nation among the Aboriginal peoples in Canada and as such our Aboriginal
and treaty rights are recognized and affirmed under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
We, the Metis Nation, have the inherent right of self-determination and self-government;
We, the Metis who live within the Metis Homelands of Ontario, desiring to bind our people together to collectively promote our common cultural, social, political, and economic well-being, have founded the Metis Nation of Ontario, to be our representative body with the following aims and objectives:
1. to research, publish and promote the genealogical documentation of the Metis, and to establish and maintain a registry of the Metis citizens of Ontario;
2. to establish democratic institutions based on our inherent right of self-government;
3. to encourage the full participation of all Metis in the Metis Nation;
4. to promote and foster community development;
5. to re-establish land and resource bases;
6. to develop prosperity and economic self-sufficiency within the Metis Nation;
7. to provide care and support necessary to meet the fundamental needs of the citizens of the Metis Nation
8. to establish effective means of communications for the Metis Nation;
9. to encourage academic and skills development and to enable citizens of the Metis Nation to attain their educational aspirations;
10. to promote the history, values, culture, languages and traditions of the Metis Nation and to create an awareness of our proud heritage;
11. to promote Metis artistic and cultural achievement;
12. to ensure that Metis can exercise their Aboriginal and Treaty rights and freedoms and in so doing, act in a spirit of cooperation with other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people;
13. to establish good relations with all Aboriginal peoples for the pursuit of our common interests and goals;
14. to continue our affiliation with the Metis National Council for the representation of the interests of the Metis Nation in Ontario at the National and International levels;
15. to gain the recognition and respect of the Metis as a Nation and a people.
The Métis Nation Constitution
Currently,
the Métis Nation does not have a Constitution.
However, Métis people from throughout the Homeland
have consistently expressed their desire to have a Métis
Nation Constitution in order to strengthen Métis
nationalism and build a stronger and more effective
national governance structure. A site maintained by
the Métis National Council has been created to
provide Métis citizens, from throughout the Homeland,
an opportunity to be aware of, updated on, and participate
in the Métis Nation's constitutional development
process. Visit
the Métis Constitution website here
