Manitoba Métis Federation launches lawsuits against province and Canada

The Manitoba Métis Federation has launched lawsuits against Manitoba and Canada, arguing Red River Métis Sixties Scoop survivors were left out of past settlements. The MMF says it’s turning to the courts now after waiting years for governments to act.

“I hope somehow common sense will come into play here and the governments, premier and prime minister will say we can’t do this to the kids again, we did it once, we can’t do it twice,” said David Chartrand, the president of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF).

The MMF has filed two lawsuits, one against Manitoba for removing Red River Métis children from their families, and a second against both Manitoba and Canada for what it claims as long-lasting cultural harm to the entire Red River Métis Nation.

“This is not a story told without facts or evidence; it’s done by their own systems of inquiries that show without a doubt it happened,” said Chartrand.

MMF says two key milestones left Red River Métis behind, pointing to Manitoba’s apology in 2015 and Canada’s national Sixties Scoop settlement in 2017, which they say the Red River Métis were not included in, which is why they are now seeking recognition, compensation, and healing supports.

“The Government of Canada said we can’t negotiate because there’s class actions right now and we need to settle them, so we can’t deal with the Red River Métis, and we waited, and now a decade has gone by, and there’s still no settlement,” Chartrand explained.

Albert Beck is one of the Red River Métis survivors named in the lawsuit. He says he was taken as a baby from Sainte-Rose-du-Lac, adopted by a non-Indigenous family, and didn’t learn he was Red River Métis until he was twenty-eight. He now works with the MMF, supporting other survivors.

“Thinking the government was going to acknowledge and move forward on that, and then we hit the wall, so here we are,” said Beck.

“I’m not a broken person, but my life has been impacted by colonial decisions that have ripped my family apart.”

While Beck says compensation would be great, he says the bigger issue is those left suffering.

“There needs to be programs and services that allow us to heal, and the time it takes us to get there isn’t three years, it’s our whole lives, so we need that opportunity,” said Beck.

With no settlement in place, the MMF created its own Bridge to Justice Fund, giving $5,000 advance payments to survivors, including Albert, while the legal process continues.

As for the lawsuit, the province confirmed that it is aware of it but does not comment on matters before the courts. The federal government and Indigenous Service Canada did not provide a comment.