Powley Case
Voyageur Articles
President’s Report
Powley: Our Nation is in his debt
He always said he wasn’t doing it for himself and that
he didn’t want anything. But we owe Steve Powley a lot.
These past 10 years are, without question, the Powley era
of the Métis Nation. He carved an indelible mark in
the recognition of the Métis of Ontario as a distinct
people, its communities a proud feature of the historic Métis
Nation in Canada. Because of Steve we are now seen as a people
with constitutional rights, one of the Aboriginal peoples
of Canada, and one of the Indigenous peoples of the world.
It is not possible to predict the full impact of Steve’s
actions—his commitment to stand up for his rights, often
under heavy stress and the increasing public attention he
shied away from-but we are already starting to see some of
the implications.
I was at a National Métis Rights and Self-Government
conference in Edmonton recently and the Powley name was everywhere.
It was on everyone’s lips. Whether it was the lawyer
for the Manitoba Métis Federation’s land claim
talking about the positive impact of Powley on the case or
the Federal Interlocutor for Métis who expressed his
condolences to a Métis Nation in mourning.
More recently, I quoted from Powley in correspondence with
the Ontario Government, pointing out that courts have determined
that the Métis are a “distinct and equal right’s
bearing Aboriginal people,” reminding the province of
its obligation to protect Métis rights and to end the
systemic discrimination we have endured for decades.
Powley is also front-and-centre in the minds of the private
sector. It did not take long after the Supreme Court decision
last September for those involved in resource development
to invite us to the table for talks.
And what does Steve’s legacy mean for our children and
the cultural future of our people? It means that, finally,
chapters from the past—the unwritten history of the
Métis Nation in Ontario—will find their way into
school curriculum. It means a greater sense of pride for an
already proud Métis youth. Steve’s legacy has
galvanized our communities and will now further entrench them
in the political and governance fabric of Canada.
Our debt to Steve for all he has done also extends to Steve’s
family, for everything they did to ensure Steve was there
for all of us. One cannot imagine Steve without Roddy behind
him and Brenda beside him. Nor can one picture Steve without
the rest of his family—surrounding his trailer at the
assemblies or around the kitchen table when we had the good
fortune to visit.
He said he did what he did for his children. Well, Steve ended
up with an extended family that will forever be grateful—an
entire Nation who owes a debt of gratitude for his firm belief
in his rights and his willingness to persevere. Steve Powley’s
determination will bring untold benefits to generations yet
to come. |
