Statement from President Marc Whitford

Statement from President Marc Whitford

North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA)

The North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA) is aware of the announcement regarding the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Métis National Council (MNC) and the Northwest Territory Métis Nation (NWTMN).

The NSMA wishes to be clear that we are not a party to this agreement and that neither the MNC nor the NWTMN represent NSMA members or the Métis of the Northwest Territories generally.

The North Slave Métis Alliance represents the distinct constituency of the historic Métis community of the Great Slave Lake Area who choose to exercise their Métis rights primarily in the North Slave region. NSMA’s rights and interests are grounded in our own history, community, and longstanding political organization. For decades, NSMA has advanced the recognition and protection of the rights of our Métis members in the Northwest Territories through our own governance structures and advocacy.

While we respect the right of other organizations to enter into agreements they believe serve their interests, such agreements cannot and do not speak for the North Slave Métis Alliance or the Métis citizens we represent.

The NSMA maintains that Métis Aboriginal rights in the Northwest Territories must be understood in the context of distinct regional Métis communities, each with their own leadership, history, and governance. Any national coordination efforts must recognize this reality and cannot presume representation over Métis governments or organizations that are not participants.

The North Slave Métis Alliance will continue to advance the rights and interests of the North Slave Métis people through our own government-to-government relationships and advocacy, including engagement with federal and territorial governments where appropriate.

Our priority remains the protection of our members’ rights, our community, and our future generations.

Marc Whitford

President, North Slave Métis Alliance