(July 6, 2021) A report recently prepared for Métis Nation Ontario (MNO) on its Citizenship Registry reveals that nearly 70% of the MNO Citizens have no connection with the Historic Métis Homeland in Western Canada or in northwestern Ontario. The report entitled “MNO Registry and Self-Government Readiness Review” is the result of a review of approximately 24,000 Citizenship files conducted by an independent firm hired by MNO.
The report, which has been posted on the MNO website reveals that only 23% of the MNO’s Citizenship ‘ancestrally connect to Métis communities in western Canada’ and only an additional 9% of the MNO Citizenship ‘ancestrally connect to the historic Métis community in Northwestern Ontario’. That totals 31%.
Of the balance, 49% of the MNO’s citizenship (8,332 MNO citizens) ancestrally connect to the Great Lakes Métis community, 6% of the MNO’s citizenship (1,045 MNO citizens) ancestrally connect to the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region (located in eastern Ontario and western Quebec) and 13% of the MNO’s citizenship (2,211 MNO citizens) ancestrally connect to the Mattawa region (located in northeastern Ontario).
Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) President Clara Morin Dal Col says she finds the results of the report showing the very small percentage of MNO Citizens with ancestral connections to the historic Métis homeland in western Canada and northwestern Ontario shocking. President Morin Dal Col said, “Given earlier discussions and information at the national level, I always believed the percentage of MNO Citizens connected to the historic Métis Homeland in western Canada was small, but only 23% is really shocking”.
President Morin Dal Col said, “The nearly 20% of the MNO Citizens coming from eastern and northeastern Ontario is very disturbing because that is not part of our historic homeland.”
The MNBC President said, “My position at the national level has always been to protect the integrity of the citizenship within the Métis Nation in the historic Métis homeland. My position is the right one for true Métis in western Canada”.
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For further information:
Contact President Clara Morin Dal Col
Email: cmdalcol@gmail.com
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