Metis groups debate Winter Olympics' value

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      Marcel Chalmers says he isn’t at liberty to disclose whether Métis people will play a role in the opening and closing ceremonies of next month’s Olympics in Vancouver. But the 2010 Winter Games coordinator for the Métis Nation British Columbia told the Georgia Straight that his people are “heavily involved” in the 17-day event.

      “It’s just going to be one big happy time for all Métis who want to be a part of it and be there,” Chalmers said during an interview in the MNBC’s head office in downtown Vancouver. “We’re well represented. We’re well connected artisan-wise, employee-wise. It’s going to be phenomenal.”

      Sitting beside Chalmers, Bruce Dumont, the elected president of the 5,000-citizen MNBC, and Malonie Langthorne, the organization’s chief executive officer, sounded their agreement.

      Next Friday (January 29), Chalmers and Langthorne will carry the Olympic flame when the torch relay reaches Quesnel. Their Keeping It Riel team, composed of 19 MNBC staff members, will run with the torch for one kilometre. At least 42 of the cross-country relay’s 12,000 torchbearers are Métis, and there are three Métis flame attendants.

      On February 15, the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion, located on the plaza of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, will host a daylong celebration of Métis culture featuring dancers and musicians from across Canada, such as the Asham Stompers and Summer Sage. During the Games, Métis performances will also be seen at live sites in Vancouver and Surrey as well as the Saskatchewan Pavilion, and Métis artists will display their work at the Aboriginal Artisan Village. The colourful Métis sash will be an officially licensed product on sale at Olympic venues.

      Chalmers wasn’t aware of any Métis athletes competing in the Olympics. According to him, more than 85 Métis people have gotten jobs linked to the Games, and Métis families will receive some of the furniture from the Olympic Village when the athletes go home. These benefits stem from a 2007 agreement the MNBC and the Métis National Council inked with the Four Host First Nations Society, which represents the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, on whose territories the Games will take place.

      However, not all Métis groups are pleased with the unprecedented level of Métis participation in the Games.

      Mark MiLan had hoped to exhibit his assemblage art and sell the pouches and shoulder bags he makes using Métis sashes through one of the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee’s aboriginal-participation programs. The Métis Cree artist was denied the chance because he hasn’t obtained a citizenship card from the MNBC, which requires proof that one is a descendant of the historic Métis Nation based in Western Canada.

      “Right now, there’s no Métis opportunities for a company like mine, and I’m the only Métis promotions company of its kind in Canada,” MiLan said by phone from his home studio in False Creek South.

      J. Paul Stevenson, president of the 2,000-member Vancouver Métis Community Association, argues Vanoc should have worked with “Métis people in general”, because many aboriginal people identify as Métis but aren’t MNBC citizens or don’t meet MNBC’s citizenship requirements. Statistics Canada’s 2006 census found 59,445 people in the province who identified as Métis, including 15,075 in Metro Vancouver.

      “I think that any Métis person should have the right or the opportunity at least to participate equally with any other Métis group,” Stevenson, who personally believes the Olympics are a waste of public funds, said on his cellphone in Vancouver. “Unfortunately, that’s not the way the world works.”

      For Leonard Laboucan, the level of Métis participation in the Olympics is disappointing. He’s the president of the 200-member Vancouver Métis Cultural Society, a chartered community of the MNBC, and he called the opportunities offered to Métis businesses “pretty dismal”.

      “We can sit here until the flipping crows come home and all that,” Laboucan said via cellphone from Williams Lake, where he was on business. “But you know something? At the end of the day and all that, MNBC, as far as I’m concerned, dropped the ball—and you can quote me on that.”

      Jessica Mikolayczyk is the spokesperson for the United Native Nations Society, whose 11,000 members include off-reserve First Nations and Métis people in B.C. According to her, many of her organization’s members in Vancouver tend to be disadvantaged in comparison to other residents. With billions of dollars being spent to put on the Olympics, Mikolayczyk wishes the federal and provincial governments would pony up more money to address poverty, homelessness, and unemployment.

      “You take a look at the Olympic Games, and only those with quite a sizable income will be able to enjoy the Olympic experience,” Mikolayczyk said by phone from Hazelton. “Those that are most disadvantaged, they’re not going to be able to be involved.”

      Langthorne maintained that the MNBC’s goal was to create as many Olympic opportunities as possible for Métis people in B.C. and across Canada with the organization’s limited staff and budget.

      “But I think with the resources, with the time spent—it’s been a contribution of many throughout the MNBC—that we’ve put our best foot forward, and I think we’ll be showcased,” Langthorne said.

      You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.

      Comments

      10 Comments

      Metis in the North

      Jan 21, 2010 at 9:17pm

      Yes, Employee wise I agree. Only ones that are invited as well as a few friends of the MNBC. The Northern Region of the province is not very well represented. There are Metis artisans up north here with no opportunity to participate. Only thing we are going to see here, someone running by with the torch. As far as the Identity issue, it is easy to claim you are Metis without the Genealogical connection to our Homeland, but it is hard to prove it, for many reasons.

      EagleWing

      Jan 22, 2010 at 1:17am

      Canadian Metis peoples are defined by two standards, one being the Aboriginal Peoples Congress definition, and the other the Metis National Council definition. VANOC choose to have an MOU with the MNC/MNBC, so only MNC/MNBC are a part of the Olympics it seems.

      The Metis of the North and all other regions must fight to ensure that the Metis are not defined by the MNC/MNBC! Support the Aboriginal Peoples Congress definition of what Metis is, Industry Canada does!

      Earl Belcourt

      Jan 22, 2010 at 7:35am

      It's very unfortunate that the MNBC has taken the stand that it has taken. The executive if the MNBC does not represent a "Nation" of people. They represent a "Delivery Organization", that is all.

      Joe Desjarlais

      Jan 22, 2010 at 8:05pm

      Its never as simple as people try and make it. I encourage people to become students of history. Read Weinstein , Quiet Revolution. He states that Trudeau ..in line with principles of multilingual country of individual equal opportunity, prepared to deal with metis as a disadvantaged minority group. in the process, they brought the metis together with another aboriginal group, non-status Indians.. “these mixed blood Indians did not share the history, culture and sense of nationhood of the Metis and saw themselves as members of tribes with whom they had been raised ” being mixed blood doesn't make us Metis. Oour ethnogenisis stems from our distinct culture and history, our long history of negotiation and resistance.

      Metis Proud

      Jan 25, 2010 at 1:20pm

      Good story, but like all stories you will find disgruntled people. Seems like MNBC is doing what it can and everyone else didnt take advantage of the opportunities that were presented. It is easier to bitch after the fact that you didn't get none if you didn't try to get any in the first place.

      Daniel

      Jan 25, 2010 at 1:25pm

      To Mr Milan. What is a Metis Cree? Either your Metis or not, and by your art you seem to be more Cree than Metis. So why didn't you just join the Olympics as a Cree?

      Mark MiLan

      Jan 25, 2010 at 7:50pm

      Tansi,

      Canadian Aboriginal Metis Peoples are well defined by the Aboriginal Peoples Congress, and this definition is the one adopted by the Canadian Government. Aboriginal Metis Cree is not uncommon regrading self-identity among the Aboriginal community.

      Some of my efforts over regarding ensuring meaningful Metis participation for these Games, as a member of the Vancouver Metis Community Association community can be viewed on my web page news releases page.

      On November 17th. 2007 I was the Metis artist representing the MNBC at the Four Host First Nations Society/Vancouver 2010 Arts and Culture Fair. Not long after that the MNBC had asked me to revoke my ten year membership with my VMCA Metis community, and to join along with them for future Olympic opportunities. I certainly was not going to turn my back on my community. Here we now are, three weeks till the Games begin, and still there are '0' Metis rtists from Vancouver Participating. As well as no Metis artists participating from Vancouver, the Olympic merchandising program has '0' Metis items whatsoever promoting the Metis culture to people from all around the World. There are no Metis symbols on any official Olympic web pages, and no Metis flags flying anywhere in the Vancouver to Whistler corridor.

      Tell me I have not tried...over the period of the last six years, I have over ten thousand hours of 16 uniquely Metis artworks created, and over $150,000.00 of Metis arrow sash products inventory available today. I just need a place to go...

      Earl Belcourt

      Jan 26, 2010 at 9:52am

      As Mark Milan said, if you're not with Dumont you're without opportunity. I chose to go it on my own, I don't need Dumont.

      Metis in the North

      Jan 28, 2010 at 5:18pm

      One of the greatest problems in the Metis Nation was the 'self identification', which is quite evident by the amount of appeals in our senate due to citizenship. It is easy to simply say you are, and identify without the historical connection to our homeland such as winnipeg. Our history is riddled with bad politics on the part of the government starting with Sir John A. Mcdonalds western expansionist policies and the scrip systems. The scrip systems set in motion the people of the road allowance and many that were denied rights under section 35 due to these scrips. If you research the scrips today you will find some of the largest institutions such as the churches, and the Hudson's bay and Banks now hold these land holdings bought for a fraction of the price. Many Metis were duped into selling, not only due to that they were forced from their homelands from conflict such as the Red river. If you do not share the history and commonality for our fight, in which we are fighting for our restoration of our rights, then you are not "Metis".

      Olympic tickets

      Feb 3, 2010 at 6:45pm

      I hope your List of 'free ticket' recievers there are more Metis citizens then MNBC employees. From the sounds of who is recieving the 'freebees' it is going to the Metis government.