Chief's remarks on Métis identity 'racist': federation president

Who in this province would agree to her that we don't exist as a people? We exist as a people. We founded this province. The Red River Métis under the leadership of Louis Riel brought Manitoba into Confederation. Louis Riel actually bought the first treaties and argued First Nations to have treaties and the first one comes in 1871. Our treaty was promised in 1870. But who fought for that? Louis Riel did. Our people did in partnership with First Nations. her and now the Grand Chief of Manitoba to be taking this position. I find it absurd. I find it That it's insulting, I find it discriminatory, I find it racist. You know, they talk about the United Nations discrimination, UNDRIP and all the rest of it, the importance of what it means to them, how that now is a tool to protect them from racism and discrimination, and then they attack a different people and say we don't exist. That's what you call racism and discrimination. You know, maybe I should take them to human rights and challenge them. But clearly, from my perspective, it's not the view of many chiefs I got calls from already, saying she does not speak on our behalf, neither does Kyra. They're saying, no, we want to partner with the Métis, we want to sit down with the Red River Métis, we want to work with our cousins and relatives. That's where the real people are talking. The citizens of reserves, the leaders of reserves, they're not agreeing with what their national chief has brought up. They're questioning, I think, in my view, why isn't she talking about the Indian Act? They're talking about revoking something they've been talking about for a century, and decades and decades. And now, she's talking about us.