The Métis Nation of Ontario
Nation to Nation Relations with Nation States

The Métis Nation on the World Stage

by Tony Belcourt
President of the Métis Nation of Ontario

Our presence in international issues this past few months has been building at a significant rate. The question is why. What's to be gained?

I think the same questions might have been asked when we formed the Métis Nation of Ontario and asked people at the community level to join with others to form a provincial bond. And then, to seek affiliation with the Métis National Council to join with the other Métis communities that collectively represent the Métis Nation in Canada.

At times, the reasons for extending beyond our borders seem obvious. There is strength in numbers and our voice becomes stronger. We can lobby more effectively for our objectives.
Other reasons for joining together in a broader coalition are not so clear on the surface. The primary one is the legal reason. The binding of our people together as a "people" supports the assertion of our treaty and Aboriginal rights. Rights derive from the collective and, therefore, it is critical to establish the collective in order to claim the rights that individual Métis may enjoy.

Another less visible reason for extending beyond borders is that we help and support each other to mutual benefit. It is natural to share with brothers and sisters and other members of the family. Sharing when one may be in need, sharing knowledge, spiritual, traditional, intellectual and cultural. Sharing experiences.

We also gain economically by working together to build an economic base, develop partnerships and joint ventures.

Finally, as we build upon our self-sufficiency, we enhance our culture and increase our capacity to be self-determining; we enjoy the pride of belonging to this unique collective.
It is not always easy to see how our joining together within our traditional territory can transcend international borders, but, we are not only one of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, we are one of the Indigenous Peoples of the World! It is time for us to look to that horizon to extend our standpoint and, ultimately, our position.

The first and foremost rationale for extending ourselves internationally is the prospect of enhancing our legal position. At issue are numerous potential international instruments, including:
UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
Organization of American States (OAS) Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
OAS Inter-American Court of Human Rights;
UN Conventions, such as ILO 169 and Convention on Bio-Diversity.

On the international stage, as one of the Indigenous Peoples of the world who meet to share as "Peoples", we stand to benefit from, and contribute to, the protection and preservation of our traditional knowledge. We create a greater awareness of our history and culture. We enhance our strength and resolve to protect our traditional values and to preserve our environment.

We also enhance the opportunities for trade and economic development. International trade creates new opportunities for employment. It also strengthens our capacity to provide assistance to those who are in greatest need.

Without question, extending beyond our borders also strengthens our political capacity, both within our country and at the world level. At home, we raise our stature as one of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada and enhance our political strength in dealing with our governments. At the UN and the OAS, we contribute to building a stronger voice for all Indigenous Peoples as we act to collectively protect and promote our rights within those institutions.

Until now, only a handful of Métis people has had any experience at the international level and that is unfortunate. However, we cannot ignore the need to boost our degree of participation to keep pace with globalization and to continue to build our strength as a people.
A "Free Trade Area of the Americas" is on the horizon. A UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is to be implemented. There is a growing international focus on human rights issues such as the forthcoming World Conference Against Racism. And there are continuing reviews of international accords and declarations such as those on housing, environment, sustainable development, education, rights of the child, women, youth, and health, among many others.

If we, as a people, are to fulfill our responsibilities to Mother Earth and humanity it is incumbent upon us to now look beyond the borders of our territory and take our place among the Indigenous Peoples of the world who share this unique distinction. And it is time for us to join with all other peoples and nations of the world who strive to achieve "harmony and peace", one of the cherished values of the Métis Nation of Ontario's "Statement of Prime Purpose". We have a role to play in international issues and we enrich our lives in doing so.