OTTAWA (February 15, 2007) – Legal Council, Jean Teillet and Jason Madden, will be making final arguments in the Métis Harvesting Rights Case of the Government of Ontario vs. Métis harvesters Laurin, Lemieux and Lemieux tomorrow morning, February 16th, 2007 at 10:00am at the Ontario Court of Justice in North Bay. MNO Executive and Métis Nation citizens are expected to fill the courtroom to hear the presentations by lawyers for the Crown and for the Métis Harvesters.

At issue is the obligation of the Government of Ontario to uphold the MNO/MNR Interim Harvesting Agreement, entered into on July 7th, 2004, between the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). This agreement was intended to respect and begin to implement the 2003 landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Powley. Contrary to the Government of Ontario’s promise that MNO Harvesters, who are harvesting for food within their traditional territories would not be subject to enforcement procedures, charges have been laid against MNO Harvesters in select Métis Nation Traditional Harvesting Territories in areas south of Sudbury.

The Métis are a distinct Aboriginal people with a unique culture, language and heritage, and with an ancestral Homeland that centers around Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, parts of the Northwest Territories, as well as the northwestern United States. The Métis played an instrumental role in the shaping of Canada, and work tirelessly to share their culture, music, traditions and knowledge of the environment with their fellow Canadians. Today, the Métis live, work, raise their families and pay taxes in communities all across Canada.