What is Metis self-government in Canada?

Métis self-government in Canada has expanded significantly since the 2003 Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Powley (which recognised Métis Aboriginal rights under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982) and the 2016 Daniels v. Canada decision (which confirmed that Métis and non-status Indians are 'Indians' under section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867). Modern Métis self-government agreements have been negotiated with the Métis Nation of Ontario, the Manitoba Métis Federation, and the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Federal Bill C-53 (an Act respecting the recognition of certain Métis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan, and the right of those governments to self-determination) received Royal Assent on June 20, 2024 and implemented the federal commitment under the Metis-Crown Self-Government Treaties signed February 24, 2023. The Bill recognises three modern Métis governments: the Métis Nation of Ontario, the Manitoba Métis Federation, and the Métis Nation of Alberta. Each is recognised as a self-government with authority over its own Métis citizens.

The recognition of Métis self-government was controversial. Several First Nations and First Nations organisations raised concerns about potential overlap with First Nations rights and territories, particularly in Ontario, where the Anishinaabe and other First Nations argued that the Métis Nation of Ontario does not represent communities with historic Métis Nation roots. The Bill was modified during parliamentary review to address some First Nations concerns, but implementation has continued to be debated.

The Métis National Council (MNC), the national Métis political organisation, represents Métis Nation citizens at the federal level. The MNC has five governing members: the Métis Nation of Ontario, the Manitoba Métis Federation, the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, the Métis Nation of Alberta, and Métis Nation British Columbia. The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan and Métis Nation British Columbia are negotiating self-government agreements parallel to the Bill C-53 framework. Self-governing Métis institutions exercise authority over Métis citizenship, child and family services, education, harvesting rights (R. v. Powley, 2003), and economic development. The Métis Nation Homeland covers the historic prairie Métis territory from northwest Ontario to British Columbia. About 600,000 Canadians identify as Métis (2021 census), with about 350,000 to 400,000 having documented ancestry in the historic Métis Nation Homeland.