A decade after: How have Métis progressed with feds since historic court case

It’s been 10 years this week since the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark Daniels v. Canada decision, which affirmed that Métis and non-status Indigenous peoples fall under federal jurisdiction.

The 2016 ruling was a historic step in recognizing Indigenous peoples who had long been excluded from federal consideration in programs, services, and policy.

While the decision established a clear legal foundation, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples notes that progress in translating that recognition into equitable access to programs and services has been uneven.

“For many of our people, the practical impacts of the Supreme Court decision have yet to match its promise,” said National Chief Brendan Moore.

He continued: “Recognition must be meaningfully reflected in how governments design and deliver programs. That work remains unfinished.”

CBC North reports that Northwest Territory Métis Nation President Garry Bailey remembers what went through his mind after the decision came down.

He said: “I thought, right on, we’re going to be treated like the First Nations. And here we are, 10 years later. Nothing, not a clause drafted yet.”

However, in February, the North Slave Métis Alliance had its Aboriginal rights as affirmed under section 35 of 1982’s Constitution Act.

With that historic milestone, Canada and the North Slave Métis Alliance can engage in collaborative dialogue to clarify how these rights are implemented and exercised going forward.

At that announcement, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty said the important milestone was decades in the making.

Alty said throughout the negotiation process, Ottawa will uphold its ‘duty to consult’ Constitutional obligations, requiring federal and provincial governments to engage with Indigenous groups when considering actions.