History of the MNA Registry 1991 to 2017 THE MNAA MEMBERSHIP - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

History of the MNA Registry 1991 to 2017

THE MNAA MEMBERSHIP REGISTRY • Prior to 1991, membership applica3ons were taken at the Mé3s Local and Regional Council offices who issued membership cards to the applicants. • In 1991, the MNA, under the leadership of President Larry Desmeules, began the process of centralizing the membership gran3ng process. • Mé3s Locals and Regional offices s3ll took applica3ons that were then forwarded to the Edmonton MNA Head Office for processing and data input • This was s3ll the process when the current President took over in 1996. • The cards were very basic, laminated and issued to approved applicants. • Basic genealogy research was conducted by an external individual who did genealogy research as a hobby.

• In 2002, the Na,onal Defini,on of Mé,s was adopted by the MNC Annual General Assembly in Edmonton • The following year in August, the MNA adopted the Na,onal Defini,on of Mé,s at its 2003 AGM in Edmonton. • Subsequent to the Powley Supreme Court decision - September of 2003, the MNA received preliminary minimal dedicated funding to start developing an objec,vely verifiable registra,on process. • This process was started with a dedicated staff and department status in January 2004. I was the Director/Registrar of the Registry Department. • The first secure bar coded Mé,s ID cards were issued in June 2006 to the 14 member MNAA Provincial Council. They were printed by an off-site Winnipeg firm

• The new process met with a lot of opposi2on from exis2ng members who wanted the process to remain status quo. • For a 10-year period, the MNAA operated with a two-card system • It wasn’t un2l 2013, 10 years aGer the adop2on of the Na2onal Defini2on of Mé2s, the old “Red and White Cards” were cancelled,. • All members (former and new applicants) had to go through a new process, based on the Na2onal Defini2on of Mé2s.

NATIONAL DEFINITION OF Mé-s Métis means a person who • self identifies as Métis • is of historic Métis Nation ancestry, • is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples and • is accepted by the Métis Nation

SELF IDENTIFIES AS Mé-s • The membership applica.on forms developed included a sec.on where the applicant could self-iden.fy as being Mé.s . • By a check box, they could iden.fy as Indian, Inuit, Non-Status Mé.s and Non Aboriginal.

IS OF HISTORIC Mé,s NATION ANCESTRY • All applicants were required to complete a family tree at least to the mid- 1800’s • A Genealogy Research Centre was established to assist applicants research their ancestry • Two genealogists were on site to assist the individuals as well as cerBfy the family trees as meeBng the NaBonal definiBon • Every applicant was required to provide linking documents – birth cerBficates, bapBsmal cerBficates, death cerBficates, scrip documents, etc. • A great deal of Bme was spent assisBng the applicants find the informaBon they needed to establish a historical connecBon to the MéBs NaBon Homeland.

IS DISTINCT FROM OTHER ABORIGINAL PEOPLE • Each applicant was required to sign a statutory declara5on sta5ng they were not on the Indian Register/Band List • The were also required to sign a le<er of authoriza5on to contact INAC to confirm they were not on the Indian Register. • A secure “exchange of informa5on” site was developed with INAC for this purpose • In addi5on, another site was created between the Registry and INAC which has the poten5al of running the en5re membership Registry to iden5fy which individuals applied for Treaty status aKer they applied as Mé5s .

IS ACCEPTED BY THE Mé/s NATION • There was no community acceptance built into the Registry. Instead, the Provincial Council passed a policy statement: • It is a mandatory requirement that each aspect of the Article 3 Definition of Métis will be addressed in the Métis Nation Registry’s application process consisting of: • Lifetime Membership Application form – Adult and under Age 16 years with an area for applicant to self-identify; • Statutory Declaration – Not on an Indian Registry/Band List • Applicant’s fully Certified Family Tree with all linking documents from applicant to historical ancestor who resided in the Historic Métis Nation Homeland; • Applicant’s Consent to Release Confidential Information • Applicant’s Consent to Search the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Indian Register • In addition, each applicant is required to provide acceptable photo identification and proof of residency to ensure compliance to Article 10.1 – Alberta Residency. • Upon the fulfilment of this mandatory requirement (s) it is determined that the applicant has met all the criteria to be accepted by the Métis Nation.

WHY ARE Mé*s REGISTERIES NECESSARY • An important role of Mé0s governing bodies is to assert Mé0s rights for their Mé0s community members. • On September 19, 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered its landmark decision in R. v. Powley recognizing and affirming the existence of Mé0s as a dis0nct Aboriginal people with exis0ng rights protected by s. 35 of the Cons0tu0on Act, 1982. • The verifica0on of a claimant’s membership in the relevant contemporary community is crucial, since individuals are only en0tled to exercise Mé0s aboriginal rights by virtue of their ancestral connec0on to and current membership in a Mé0s community • Self-iden0fica0on, ancestral connec0on, and community acceptance are factors which define Mé0s iden0ty for the purpose of claiming Mé0s rights under s. 35.

WHAT AFFECTS THE INTEGRITY OF THE REGISTRY Poli%cal interference – being required to approve applica%ons that do not meet the Na%onal Defini%on of Mé%s . In some cases, the President intervened on behalf of an applicant, depending on poli%cal expediency, there was an expecta%on to accept documenta%on that did not prove descent. Non-compliance to the CSA Standard document that was developed with a great deal of input from the MNAA Registry staff and approved by the MNC Assembly for implementa%on. The MNAA Registry data has not been reviewed since 1991, even though there was an automa%c 5 year review date built into the data system

CLOSING • I cannot speak to the integrity of the MNAA Registry, since 2017. • Of the 42,000 registered members claimed in news releases, these include applicaDons of individuals who have moved from the province, have passed away, or potenDally obtained Treaty status since 1991. • There is no way to determine as the MNAA leadership will not agree to the review of the membership Registry. • I personally feel sad about the state of our Registry, as I lead the development of the Registry for the sole purpose of registering legiDmate MéDs NaDon members.