MNO News 39: President’s Message (December 2025)
Dear Citizens,
As we reach the end of the year and gather with our families and communities, I’ve been thinking about how much we’ve accomplished together in 2025. This year asked a lot of us, and it showed our strength, our pride, and our care for one another.
Click to watch a special end of year message from President Froh.
Everywhere I travelled, I saw the same thing—Métis people standing tall, supporting each other, and helping our government grow. I saw Elders sharing stories at culture camps, youth stepping forward with confidence, and families reconnecting with teachings passed down for generations. Maarsii to every Citizen, council, volunteer, Youth, Knowledge Keeper, and staff member. Your work and your kindness make everything we do possible.
This summer, we came together in Sault Ste. Marie for our 32nd Annual General Assembly. We met in the heart of the Powley community, on former river-lot lands where Métis families have lived and defended their rights for generations. One moment I won’t forget was standing with Citizens as the Powley Institute Act passed. You could feel the energy in the pavilion. It was clear we were not only remembering our story—we were writing the next chapter together.
The Powley Institute launch concert that followed — the Soirée in the Soo—became a true celebration, filled with warmth, music, and a deep sense of community. Métis culture and heritage were alive in the space, and people came together not just to mark a milestone, but to share pride in who we are and what we are building together. It is a moment many of us will remember for a long time.
This year marked another defining moment for Métis communities in Ontario. After years of careful, determined work, the Métis National Council’s Expert Panel released its Final Report, the most comprehensive and independent examination ever undertaken of Métis communities in Ontario. The report firmly confirmed what our Citizens have always known: that Métis communities in Ontario are historic, authentic, and inseparably connected to the broader Métis Nation through shared culture, kinship, and political relationships across the Métis Homeland.
This year, we continued to bring our voice to the national level. In August, I and other Métis leaders from across the Homeland met with Prime Minister Mark Carney to make clear that national decisions must include Métis governments from the beginning. We spoke with a united voice, and we were heard. The Prime Minister agreed to work with us through distinctions-based partnerships. It set a clearer expectation for how Métis governments must be engaged in national decisions going forward.
Across Ontario, our communities had many meaningful moments. We marked Powley Day, Indigenous Veterans Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the National Day of Action for MMIWG2S+, Louis Riel Day, and Women’s History Month among others. Each of these days reminded us of the strength, responsibility, and resilience of the Métis people. We gathered through regional Rendezvous events, youth leadership gatherings, culture camps, community tree planting, town halls, and many local activities.
Something new happened in South West Region (MNO Region 9) this year. Councils held their elections on the same day. The goal was to build visibility, encourage participation, and open the door to new voices in council leadership. Based on that experience, South West Region plans to repeat this approach every three years. It’s a good example of councils seeing an opportunity and being willing to try something new to strengthen local leadership.
This year brought new supports for citizens as well. We launched the Virtual Health Care Program, the Health Resource Program, the Adult Wellness Connection, and the National School Food Program. We continued our work on women’s health and cancer prevention through Love Yourself First. These programs are already helping Métis families, especially in rural and northern communities.
In the fall, citizens joined our Self-Government Virtual Roundtables to share ideas for our new Constitution. These conversations are not only about laws—they are about who we are and how we want to govern ourselves for future generations. This important work will continue in the year ahead, and every Citizen has a role to play.
Earlier this month, we came together for a Constitution Summit over the December 6 weekend. among elected leaders, community members, and Wise Ones were many bright, engaged youth from across Ontario. I left feeling energized and hopeful by the way they listened and spoke up for the future of our Métis government.
This year marked 150 years since the Halfbreed Adhesion to Treaty No. 3. In 1875, the Métis families of Rainy Lake and Rainy River stood together as a community to say clearly who they were and what their rights were. At the anniversary gathering, when Citizens saw the new interpretive signs, many said they felt proud that this history is finally being shared and honoured.
We had opportunities this year to reflect on and share earlier moments in our collective Métis story, such as the 1849 Mica Bay Incident, and on the 1850 Métis Petition, which called on the Crown to keep its promises. These stories remind us that our communities in Ontario have deep, long-standing roots. Many of these histories are now shared on OntarioMetisFacts.com, a website that brings them to life.
Yet, in spite of all this excellent work to promote Métis history, earlier this month, an event called UnMaking Métis drew public attention. What we are seeing more broadly is a growing effort to reinterpret history in ways that cast doubt on Métis communities in Ontario and on the lived identities of Métis people. We take this seriously, which is why we issued a public statement to speak directly to our Citizens. We will not be drawn into division, but we will continue to stand firmly for truth, evidence-based history, and the dignity of Métis people in Ontario.
As we approach the holidays, I hope this season brings you rest, warmth, and time with the people you love. And I hope you feel proud of what we achieved together this year. We honoured our history, strengthened our communities, and continued building a strong Métis government guided by the voices of our Citizens. We look forward to the new year and all the great work we will be doing, together, as we continue to move the metis nation of ontario forward for the betterment of our citizens, families and communities!
Wishing you and your families a safe, warm, and joyful holiday season, and a very happy new year!
Margaret Froh
President, Métis Nation of Ontario