"Tabarnouche! - Les maudits couches-Metis?"

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post, "A huge pot of taxpayer dollars!"

Gary Thomas wrote an interesting piece but he really shouldn't advocate for Rod Bruinooge, Shelly Glover and Vic Toews to fix the ills of the MMF and of government laissez-faire. These MP's are too well-schooled to not know that if they made waves, David Chartrand would turn things around to make them appear anti-Metis. What MP's or MLA's do you see talking against the Aboriginal right to self-government?

In reality, is it not for the grassroots Metis people to take a stand? And where are they? You read what David Charette had to say. Grassroots are scared to get their privileges taken away to take a stand. You remember what Fortunat used to say before he pulled the drapes on his site?

I hate to say it, but we are in an era of very low Metis political will amongst the people. We're in the era of the Couch-Metis and happy with the status quo. It's like - OK - if the Federation will get me a harvester card, or if so and so will go to court for more hunting rights, great, I'll sit here and watch and take advantage of what they do for me. But I'm not going to go public to say anything that might embarass me.

No one, except for you Clare, and you're not even Metis, is willing to stick their little neck out and take a stand against what is not right.

Oilfield Metis
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Dear Oilfield:

Thank you for writing. Perhaps Abraham Lincoln said it best, "In the end people get the kind of government they deserve."

If Manitoba's Metis are going to be apathetic and disengaged then they should not complain when they get leadership and an organization that's fourth rate which is what they currently have with Corporate Team TRACHTNEBERG - chartrand a couple of bullies running the show. The problem with bullies is if you allow them they'll keep trying to push you into a corner - eventually you could find yourself standing on a piece of land the size of a postage stamp.

But who's the biggest loser? We'd argue the Metis people because they're the ones not getting the kind of governance and services they deserve. And a final point while still on the subject - don't expect the government to do it for you.

Lawyer Jeff Niederhoffer and our current attoney Anders Bruun are a couple excellent examples of non-Aboriginals who have no fear of David Chartrand and his mouthpiece Murray Trachtenberg. But there are also Metis who are not afraid to speak out - sadly too few.

Sincerely,

Clare L. Pieuk