MNO News 32: President’s Message (May 2025)

Dear Citizens,

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent All Citizens Townhall. Whether you tuned in from your kitchen table or gathered with family and friends, I’m grateful you took the time to be part of this important conversation. Our strength as a Nation comes from the voices, stories, and leadership of our citizens, and that is always on full display during our Townhalls.

This past month marked a major milestone for the Métis Nation of Ontario. The release of the Métis National Council Expert Panel Report has confirmed what our communities have always known: that the seven historic Métis communities in Ontario are, and have always been, part of the Métis Nation. Full stop.

This independent, Métis-led report was the most comprehensive and transparent investigation of its kind, backed by more than 50,000 pages of evidence, over 120 hours of meetings, and testimony from more than 160 Métis citizens and leaders. The result is a 264-page report grounded in Métis law, Métis research, and Métis voices. It affirms our place in history.

Now, our job is to share it. Read it. Talk about it. Use it to teach your children and grandchildren the truth of who they are and where they come from. I want to encourage you to continue telling our stories, the ones that connect the Expert Panel’s findings to the lived experiences of Métis people in Ontario today.

We will also continue to push forward with our self-government work. That includes building our new Constitution, a document that will reflect the truth affirmed in this report and ensure that every citizen, every family, and every historic community is included in our future.

Of course, this work must also continue in partnership with Canada’s federal government. As some of you know, following this week’s election, Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party of Canada will form the next government and the MNO is ready to continue our work.

We are calling on this new government to advance the Self-Government Agreements, address outstanding historic claims, and invest in Métis housing, education, health care, infrastructure, and economic development. We are also calling for Métis-specific policy co-development, not one-size-fits-all approaches.

Sincerely,

Margaret Froh
President, Métis Nation of Ontario