Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
Tansi/Good Day Folks:
As noted today by Derryl Sanderson (Charles Beer Takes On MMF's Alan Benoit On Hunting Rights -www.derrylsanderson.blogspot.com), the following letter appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. According to Mr. Sanderson, "He (Mr. Beer) was narrowly defeated by President David Chartrand's brother, Elbert, in the last Manitoba Metis Federation election. Beer came awfully close to unseating the incumbent in the Northwest region."
We've also included comments by Lionel R. Chartand posted on www.CyberSmokeSignals.com who, in an early April 2004 telephone conversation with me, stated he had entered into a personal services contract to do paid legal work for the Federation. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
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The Winnipeg Free Press (Editorials)
Wednesday November 8, 2006
Page A14
Metis Rights Constitutional
Re: Metis hunting Cards, October 28
The Metis of Canada have the right to hunt, fish and gather and other aboriginal rights under the Constitution of Canada.
I don't know where a corporation (Manitoba Metis Federation) has obtained the authority to give out cards to the Metis people for hunting when this card is illegal in Canadian law. The Metis people need to know and remember that this is not a right given to them by a government of the MMF Corp.; this is the Metis birth right, just like every other aboriginal in Canada.
As far as Allen Benoit suggesting a Metis hunter needs a harvester card to claim a constitutional right to hunt, this is totally false. The Constitution doesn't support this nor does the Supreme Court in Powley or the Christie McPherson case in The Pas. Therefore, that statement should be retracted by him personally and the MMF Inc.
As far as the Goodon case being hailed as a landmark test for Metis hunting rights, it is far from that, unless for those Metis using the MMF Inc. harvester card as their rights to hunt, (which card remains as MMF Inc. property).
If these harvester cardholders are relying on a corporate card to give them constitutional rights, they probably don't have any.
I find it absolutely discriminatory that the Manitoba government continues to break the highest law in the land and continues to charge Metis people when it knows what the law is. And now the head of the resource department of the MMF Inc., Benoit is stating that he too would like to have enough money to put officers in the field to also charge the Metis people for exercising their customs, culture and tradition as upheld by the Constitutional Act of 1982.
CHARLES BEER
Shortdale
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From: "Lionel Chartrand" <lrc@shaw.ca>
To: "clare pieuk" <pieuk@shaw.ca>
Sent: January 20, 2004 1:00 AM
Subject: david 2
Dear Editor:
David's "leadership" has been very costly to Manitoba Metis and hopefully this will change very quickly with the Honourable Mr. Dumont taking over the reins. David has done many things in reverse of convention.
Normally, Aboriginal groups keep their harvesting rights but settle their land claims. Land claims are much more difficult and costly to prove in Court. Rather than fighting in Court spending needless millions of dollars, he should sit down with his friendly government counterparts and attempt to settle the case - then taking any acceptable offers to the membership for a referendum. This is how First Nations usually settle their own land claims.
On the other hand, harvesting rights are normally kept, and not negotiated away. Why is David negotiating them away now that the Supreme Court has confirmed the Manitoba case, and now that the government is legally obligated to honour these rights? Can David name ONE First Nation band or Tribal Council which has negotiated away their rights and their members must apply for and pay for permits and licenses? I am personally not aware of any.
I look forward to sensible and responsible leadership. We can't get the Honourable Mr. Dumont back in as president soon enough.
Lionel
As noted today by Derryl Sanderson (Charles Beer Takes On MMF's Alan Benoit On Hunting Rights -www.derrylsanderson.blogspot.com), the following letter appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. According to Mr. Sanderson, "He (Mr. Beer) was narrowly defeated by President David Chartrand's brother, Elbert, in the last Manitoba Metis Federation election. Beer came awfully close to unseating the incumbent in the Northwest region."
We've also included comments by Lionel R. Chartand posted on www.CyberSmokeSignals.com who, in an early April 2004 telephone conversation with me, stated he had entered into a personal services contract to do paid legal work for the Federation. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Winnipeg Free Press (Editorials)
Wednesday November 8, 2006
Page A14
Metis Rights Constitutional
Re: Metis hunting Cards, October 28
The Metis of Canada have the right to hunt, fish and gather and other aboriginal rights under the Constitution of Canada.
I don't know where a corporation (Manitoba Metis Federation) has obtained the authority to give out cards to the Metis people for hunting when this card is illegal in Canadian law. The Metis people need to know and remember that this is not a right given to them by a government of the MMF Corp.; this is the Metis birth right, just like every other aboriginal in Canada.
As far as Allen Benoit suggesting a Metis hunter needs a harvester card to claim a constitutional right to hunt, this is totally false. The Constitution doesn't support this nor does the Supreme Court in Powley or the Christie McPherson case in The Pas. Therefore, that statement should be retracted by him personally and the MMF Inc.
As far as the Goodon case being hailed as a landmark test for Metis hunting rights, it is far from that, unless for those Metis using the MMF Inc. harvester card as their rights to hunt, (which card remains as MMF Inc. property).
If these harvester cardholders are relying on a corporate card to give them constitutional rights, they probably don't have any.
I find it absolutely discriminatory that the Manitoba government continues to break the highest law in the land and continues to charge Metis people when it knows what the law is. And now the head of the resource department of the MMF Inc., Benoit is stating that he too would like to have enough money to put officers in the field to also charge the Metis people for exercising their customs, culture and tradition as upheld by the Constitutional Act of 1982.
CHARLES BEER
Shortdale
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Lionel Chartrand" <lrc@shaw.ca>
To: "clare pieuk" <pieuk@shaw.ca>
Sent: January 20, 2004 1:00 AM
Subject: david 2
Dear Editor:
David's "leadership" has been very costly to Manitoba Metis and hopefully this will change very quickly with the Honourable Mr. Dumont taking over the reins. David has done many things in reverse of convention.
Normally, Aboriginal groups keep their harvesting rights but settle their land claims. Land claims are much more difficult and costly to prove in Court. Rather than fighting in Court spending needless millions of dollars, he should sit down with his friendly government counterparts and attempt to settle the case - then taking any acceptable offers to the membership for a referendum. This is how First Nations usually settle their own land claims.
On the other hand, harvesting rights are normally kept, and not negotiated away. Why is David negotiating them away now that the Supreme Court has confirmed the Manitoba case, and now that the government is legally obligated to honour these rights? Can David name ONE First Nation band or Tribal Council which has negotiated away their rights and their members must apply for and pay for permits and licenses? I am personally not aware of any.
I look forward to sensible and responsible leadership. We can't get the Honourable Mr. Dumont back in as president soon enough.
Lionel
posted by Clare L. Pieuk at 4:45 PM
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