Prime Minister Trudeau in general seemingly supports “long term benefits to communities” and “openness and transparency” as well as ” collaboration” and playing a supporting role” in issues. He states that “difference could be a source of strength.”
For Métis, he claims to want to honour the Daniels ruling (this ruling opens the door to the” many ways of being Métis”) and he talks about “collaboration” in matters of “Métis identity” . Yet in Trudeau’s language he refers to the “Métis Nation”. There is still no effort to reach out to all BC or National Métis communities. Instead of a history of exclusive identity politics, recognition politics and competition, there is much greater power in negotiated coexistence, nation-to-nation relationships based on “mutual recognition.”
The government’s role, echoing Trudeau’s own words, aught to play a “supporting role” in partnering with Métis communities and nations. It is existing and historical Métis communities that have the right to self-determine and assert political authority and build mutually recognized relationships with governments. As the goal of the BCMF is to facilitate partnerships, its mandate is to connect Métis diaspora and displaced Métis into existing communities or to assist them establish new communities based on ‘mutual recognition’.
BCMF looks to wisely engage all Métis Nations, governments, industry, First Nations and Inuit, and Canadians in a hope-filled dialogue. An “Assembly of Métis Nations” approach that recognizes the cultural capacity, the intellectual resources, and the historic imagination that will be required to relate to each other in a ‘pluralistic association’ that makes possible the well-being of ALL self-determining Indigenous Nations.