SURREY, B.C. 鈥� Members of the M茅tis Nation British Columbia voted Saturday to leave the national organization, the M茅tis National Council, effective immediately.
The vote was held virtually during the B.C. group's governance assembly and follows similar moves by M茅tis groups in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
A statement from M茅tis Nation B.C. said the decision comes after "careful consideration and deliberation" by its elected board of directors and community leaders, who voted with a "strong majority" in favour of leaving the national council.
President Walter Mineault said in a statement that despite 40 years of "good work," the governance structure of the M茅tis National Council is no longer equitable.
The current structure affords "absolute control" to the remaining founding member of the national council, the statement said.
The M茅tis National Council's bylaws state that board meetings will include the president and two of the founding members 鈥� Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta.
But only the Alberta group remains among the founders after the Manitoba M茅tis Federation pulled out in 2021, citing concerns with membership in the M茅tis Nation of Ontario, and the M茅tis Nation of Saskatchewan left this fall over similar reasons.
The decision in B.C. comes after "many failed attempts" to change the structure of the national council, the statement from the M茅tis Nation B.C. said.
B.C. vice-president Melanie Allard said she was dismayed the groups could not find a way to continue together, but the B.C. organization must directly advocate for priorities that matter to M茅tis people in the province.
The M茅tis National Council said in a statement in late October that more time was needed to reform the organization and its bylaws.
In a separate statement, the M茅tis Nation of Alberta, now known as the Otipemisiwak M茅tis Government, said the group is "committed to fundamental reform at the M茅tis National Council."
This report by The 91原创 Press was first published Nov. 30, 2024.
The 91原创 Press
