MNO News 48: President’s Message (September 2026)
Dear Citizens,
Students have gone back to school and fall has arrived. The change of season brings cooler days, changing leaves, and the beginning of another fall harvest season for many Métis families.
Harvesting has always been part of Métis life in Ontario. Historical records from the early 1800’s tell us about Métis women in the Abitibi Inland and western James Bay regions hunting, trapping, fishing, repairing nets and snowshoes, and gathering spruce gum to repair canoes. More than two hundred years later, many of these traditions continue, connecting Métis harvesters to the land, their families and communities, and passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
Métis history was very much on my mind on September 19 as I joined Citizens and families at Guelph Lake for the South West Region Rendezvous and Powley Day celebration. Twenty-three years ago that day, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in R. v. Powley. The case began in 1993 when father and son, Steve and Roddy Powley, harvested a moose to feed their family in their historic Métis community at Sault Ste. Marie. Their nearly ten-year legal fight resulted in a landmark decision confirming that Métis are a distinct Indigenous people with rights recognized and protected by Canada’s Constitution, and urged governments to begin negotiating with Metis governments. The Powley decision changed the course of Métis rights recognition in Canada and laid a foundation for much of the progress we have made toward self-government in the years since.
Just two days after Powley Day, I had the privilege of meeting with Canada’s new Governor General, Her Excellency Louise Arbour. Governor General Arbour has a special connection to the Metis, having served on the Supreme Court when the unanimous Powley decision was handed down in 2003. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk with her about how far we have come since that decision, and the work Métis Citizens are doing today to build the future of our government. We spoke about our work toward a Constitution and modern Self-Government Treaty with Canada, the Powley Institute, and the programs and services the MNO has built for Citizens and families. I also shared some of the challenges facing Métis communities in Ontario and our commitment to ensuring Canadians have access to accurate information about our history, communities, and rights.
That same work of building strong relationships with other governments continued this past week at a meeting organized by the Metis National Council, where I joined Métis leaders from across the Homeland and federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson for a round table on the future of Métis housing. Our collective message was clear, that the Canada–Métis Nation Housing Sub-Accord has supported Métis governments to develop housing solutions that respond directly to the needs of our Citizens, and we want to build on that success. Over the past three years, the MNO has completed over 40 new affordable housing units, helped hundreds of Citizens complete critical home repairs, supported families at risk of eviction, and helped Métis families become homeowners.
As September comes to an end, we are preparing to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on September 30. This is a day to remember the children who attended residential and day schools, Survivors, their families, and the generations that continue to live with the impacts of those experiences. It is also a day to ensure the full history is told, including the experiences of Métis children and families. I encourage everyone to take this opportunity to learn. Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report, including Volume 3 “Canada’s Residential Schools: The Metis Experience.” Read the stories of Survivors, and watch the Indigenous Geographic documentary “Waiting for Justice” about the Ille-à-la-Crosse Residential School. Learn about the experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. Talk about what you learn with your families and communities, and carry those stories forward.
As always, I encourage you to read through the rest of this newsletter to learn more about the programs, services, events, and opportunities your self-government provides to MNO Citizens. To our harvesters, I wish you a safe and successful fall harvest.
Margaret Froh
President, Métis Nation of Ontario