BC Métis Federation is pleased to share that leadership met in Victoria at the legislature this week with senior Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (MARR) staff and the Parliamentary Secretary for Métis Marc Dalton.

Some of the BC Métis Federation key messages were:

• There has to be a new way forward.
• There are nations of Métis people, not just the Métis Nation as Métis Nation BC and the Métis National Council put forward.
• The Province must understand the complexity and context of Métis representation and work with all representative Métis organizations in BC for the best outcomes.

The Provincial Government continues to be hesitant about how best to engage all Métis in BC and continues to take the lead of the Federal Government and their department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) to determine recognition.

The MARR recognized the overriding importance of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations this past year as context in all work they are doing to support all Métis in BC. There is a recognition that Canada is stepping up, generally speaking, to recognize and support all Métis. British Columbia continues to identify ways to work better with all Aboriginal people including Métis. MARR is leading this process to better integrate with all of the British Columbia ministries.

A key agreement was Métis success must be community driven and there is a lot of work to do to achieve this in British Columbia.

This was a positive meeting and an agreement was reached to continue next steps.