OTTAWA — The Manitoba Métis Federation is turning down Prime Minister Mark Carney's invitation to discuss his government's controversial major projects legislation, saying it won't attend the meeting alongside another Métis group it claims has no reason to exist.
The federation, which represents Red River Métis, said Wednesday Carney's decision to invite the Métis Nation of Ontario to Thursday's meeting undermines the integrity of the gathering and puts the government's plans for major projects at risk.
"Respect my government as you're asking me to respect yours. Trust my government as you're asking me to trust yours," Federation president David Chartrand said to reporters in front of his cabinet ministers in Ottawa on Wednesday.
"To the prime minister, the door is open. If you want to come and sit down with my cabinet in a government-to-government relationship, we will meet. But if you want to insult us, then we'll see each other in a different political realm in the future."
Other Métis groups and First Nations say the communities represented by the Métis Nation of Ontario have no claim to Métis heritage and Ottawa and Ontario have no right to recognize them.
The MNO has defended itself from those claims, saying Métis do not exist only in the Red River region. First Nations in the province have sought academic reviews of six new communities recognized by the MNO and Ontario in 2017, saying they are not legitimate and infringe upon their territories.
Chartrand also said Ottawa is propping up the Métis National Council by including it in the meeting, despite the fact that it has only two provincial members left due to conflicts related to the MNO.
He said Carney's political advisers do not know enough about Métis politics, adding the prime minister never would have met with "fake banks" in his previous role as Bank of Canada governor.
"You're prime minister of Canada. Don't have a meeting with a fake group of people, because it's not right. You wouldn't do it as a businessman. Don't do it as prime minister," Chartrand said.
Carney promised meetings with First Nations, Inuit and Métis after Indigenous leaders said they were not consulted adequately on the major projects legislation and they fear projects will move forward without their input.
The legislation allows cabinet to sidestep existing laws to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects that are deemed to be in the national interest.
While the Manitoba Métis Federation has been generally supportive of the legislation, Chartrand said Ottawa's push to approve major projects is at risk if Ottawa negotiates with "illegitimate bodies."
MNO co-secretary for rights, intergovernmental relations and communications Mitch Case said that while the Manitoba Métis Federation is free to make decisions about its own participation, it has no right to dictate who sits around the table.
"(Chartrand) can go and argue with his past self. He can argue with me. They can post whatever they want on Facebook. We're here to talk about how do we work with Canada to respond to the economic threat, the geopolitical situation that the globe finds itself in right now," Case said.
The Manitoba Métis Federation was a member of the Métis National Council until tensions came to a head in 2021 over who the Métis Nation of Ontario represents.
Case pointed to that historical relationship between the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Métis Nation of Ontario.
"We're not talking about ancient history here. We're talking about living memory," Case said, citing a Supreme Court of Canada case from 2003 that recognized a Métis community in and around Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and the support provided to the provincial group from Métis across the country at the time — including Chartrand.
"We fought for the Métis Nation before there was any recognition of Métis rights, and we're continuing to fight today," Métis Nation of Ontario president Margaret Froh said in an interview.
Chartrand said his citizens would be outraged if his organization validated the MNO by sitting alongside it in a meeting with the prime minister.
"At the end of the day, if (Carney) wants to meet with them then say we spoke with the Métis, then he's going to feel the wrath of the Red River Métis," Chartrand said.
He pointed to those studies commissioned by First Nations, some of which concluded the MNO was basing its genealogical history on the backs of First Nations ancestors, not Métis.
"Don't steal this," Chartrand said, pointing to his buckskin vest adorned with Red River Métis floral beadwork.
"This belongs to the West. Don't steal my flags. Don't steal (Louis) Riel. Don't steal our history. Get your own history and share that. If Canada wants to welcome you as a new people, so be it. That's their right. You will find yourself in a courtroom or in a political negotiation, but quit stealing our history and our culture."
Chartrand told reporters he was aware of two other provincial groups who received invitations to the meeting — the Métis Nation of Alberta and the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan. He said he had no problem with their participation.
Métis settlements in Alberta and the N.W.T. were not invited to participate.
The Prime Minister's Office told The Canadian Press late Wednesday Métis leaders were provided with details about the meeting Tuesday.
"As the government of Canada we have a responsibility to work with everyone to build Canada Strong and that is what we will continue to do with the Manitoba Métis Federation and all of our Indigenous and Métis Partners," Patrick Vaughan said in a media statement.
The office did not respond to a question about why the Métis settlements were not invited.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2025.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
