(Toronto, Ont.–Dec. 13, 2024) Ontario Regional Chief Benedict has issued the following statement in response to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree confirming that Bill C-53 will not move forward during the meeting of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) on Monday, December 9, 2024:

“The Chiefs of Ontario have been opposing Bill C-53 since before it was introduced. We knew that legislation recognizing the Métis Nation of Ontario’s (MNO) alleged section 35 Aboriginal right to self-government would be eventually introduced as part of the MNO Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Agreement with Canada.

Ontario First Nation Leadership were joined by technicians, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Youth, community members and supporters on June 18, 2023, on Parliament Hill for a peaceful demonstration opposing the introduction of the bill just three days before it was introduced. Our position has always been that the MNO cannot be included in Bill C-53 because they do not meet the legal criteria to be recognized as having section 35 rights. Bill C-53 would’ve set a dangerous precedent for the recognition of false claims to Indigenous identity.

While the Chiefs of Ontario welcome Minister Anandasangaree’s confirmation that Bill C-53 will not move forward, we continue to call for Canada not to enter into any further agreements with MNO and cease all processes that would recognize section 35 until the MNO’s claims are independently verified. The MNO’s claims have never been verified by Canada, nor by Ontario, when the province recognized six new so-called ‘historic Métis communities’ in the Ontario region in 2017.

Canada and Ontario’s recognition of MNO has been and continues to be reckless, and any future legislation introduced by Canada similar to Bill C-53 would be egregious, deeply damaging to Canada’s relationship with its treaty partners and opposed by First Nations in Ontario.”

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The Chiefs of Ontario support all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, X or Instagram @ChiefsOfOntario. 

Media Contact:

Isak Vaillancourt
Communications Manager
Chiefs of Ontario
Mobile: 416-819-8184
Email: isak.vaillancourt@coo.org

Declan Keogh
Communications Officer
Chiefs of Ontario
Mobile: 416-522-4518
Email: declan.keogh@coo.org