MNO Education & Training Staff Attend National Conference on Métis Ethics and Data Sovereignty

Staff from the Métis Nation of Ontario’s (MNO) Education & Training Branch joined researchers, community leaders, and academics from across the Métis Nation at the 2025 “Re-Claiming Métis Ethics” conference, held at the University of Winnipeg in May. The three-day gathering focused on advancing a distinctions-based approach to research ethics that affirms Métis sovereignty and self-determination in data governance and research.

 

Hosted under the theme Beyond OCAP and Towards Métis Sovereignty, the event offered an engaging platform to examine the ethical dilemmas posed by existing research standards, and, particularly their failure to reflect Métis knowledge systems, governance, and priorities. While models like the First Nations Principles of OCAP® have historically provided guidance for Indigenous data governance, speakers highlighted how these principles are not designed with Métis communities in mind. The need for Métis-specific ethical frameworks was a recurring message throughout the conference.

 

Over 14 presenters and respected scholars guided participants through wide-ranging conversations on the future of Métis research ethics. Core questions raised included: Who should have access to Métis data? What responsibilities do researchers hold when engaging with Métis communities? And how can research institutions be held accountable to Métis Nations?

 

“Our MNO Education & Training staff attended the event as part of the MNO’s ongoing commitment to embedding ethical and community-driven practices in Métis education and research,” says Bryanna Scott-Kay, Ph.D., MNO Director of Education & Training. “Their participation ensures the MNO remains actively engaged in national conversations on information governance, while continuing to develop policies and practices that respect Métis rights and reflect community values in the field of research and data gathering.”

 

Throughout the gathering, speakers revisited six foundational principles originally proposed by the National Aboriginal Health Organization—reciprocity, respect, safe and inclusive environments, diversity, research responsibility, and context-specific understanding—proposing these as the basis for a distinctively Métis ethical framework. These principles were further supported by international standards such as the FAIR and CARE data governance principles, emphasizing both community control and global best practices.

 

Key recommendations from the event included:

 

Importantly, the conference emphasized that ethical research with Métis must not be led nor shaped by political actors but instead guided by Métis academics and communities themselves. While each community may have different perspectives, localized frameworks were seen as both necessary and appropriate to reflect community-specific ethics.

 

As Métis communities continue to reclaim control over their data and stories, conferences like Re-Claiming Métis Ethics represent a significant step toward ensuring that all research conducted with and about the Métis communities are done respectfully, responsibly, and in ways that reflect and uphold Métis sovereignty.