| MMF to Continue Legal Struggle | 13 December 07 |
 On December 7th, after a 25-year court battle, Justice MacInnis' released his decision in Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) v. A.G. of Canada and A.G. of Manitoba."We will appeal the decision," said MMF President David Chartrand. "History shows that very rarely does a lower court side with Aboriginal Peoples on a matter of importance. The Métis People will have to rely on a higher court. We would not be surprised if this went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada." The current action has its origins in the turbulent period of 1869-1870, which led to the creation of the province of Manitoba. In 1870 the Métis were founders of Manitoba and partners in Confederation. Obligations to the Métis under sections 31 and 32 of the Manitoba Act included protection of the river lots and assurances that 1.4 million acres of land were to be reserved for the Métis children. The MMF indicates these promises were never met. "The MMF has been in court on this issue for a quarter century," explained President Chartrand. "Challenging Justice McInnis' judgment is another one of the steps we must take on our way to getting justice for the Métis People." View the December 2007 Manitoba Métis Federation press release Source: MMF |
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