MNO News 31: President’s Message (April 2025)
As the President of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO), I am writing to you as today the Final Report of the Métis National Council’s (MNC) Expert Panel has been released. The Final Report confirms what we have always known to be true – the seven historic Métis communities in Ontario are, and have always been, an integral part of the larger Métis Nation.
The Expert Panel’s Final Report is the most comprehensive, transparent, and independent study ever undertaken on Métis Nation communities in Ontario. Over the course of a year, the Expert Panel reviewed more than 50,000 pages of evidence, heard from over 160 Métis citizens, elders, youth, and leaders, and visited each of the seven communities. The conclusion of their work, itself rooted Métis values and grounded on evidence is clear:
“The Panel finds that these communities meet the parameters of the National Definition of the Métis Nation… and are part of the Métis Nation Homeland.” — MNC Expert Panel Final Report
This is a powerful and definitive answer to those have tried to divide the Métis Nation, discredit the MNO, and deny the existence of Métis communities in Ontario.The Expert Panel’s Final Report reaffirms the history and deep connections between the Métis communities in northern Ontario and those on the prairies.
After years of attacks on the historic Métis communities in Ontario, the Expert Panel’s Final Report cuts through the misinformation and denialism to affirm the facts of history. It also confirms the MNO’s place as a Métis Nation government. No other Métis government has faced this level of scrutiny. And none have come through it more clearly affirmed. The Expert Panel’s Final Report validates the work our government has undertaken, on the land, in the courts, at the negotiation table, in our communities, and for the betterment of the entire Métis Nation for generations.
The Expert Panel’s Final Report and comprehensive evidence-based findings bring a conclusive end to years of scrutiny and questions surrounding the seven historic rights-bearing Métis communities in northern Ontario. Their enduring relationships within the broader Métis Nation are abundantly clear. Read the full MNC Expert Panel Final Report here.
As the Expert Panel’s independent mandate is now complete, the MNO has been entrusted by the MNC Governing Members with the Final Report. I encourage MNO citizens to read the Final Report and the community submissions to the Expert Panel. For additional information on the MNC Expert Panel, their Final Report, and other key documents I invite you to visit our website.
Our stories are who we are. Learn them, share them, and now, more than ever, be proud of them.
Sincerely,
Margaret Froh
President, Métis Nation of Ontario