Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (May 30/05) - A dispute over old and sometimes historic family photos may soon be settled in Fort Smith.

Joe Mercredi of Enterprise says he is searching for photos in his massive collection to return to Fort Smith families, who say the photos were loaned to him.

"I'll be sending them back in a couple of weeks," Mercredi said, estimating he will be returning a dozen or two.

The status of the photos is a sore point among many Metis families in Fort Smith.

"If they want to whine about it and make an issue of it, let them have it," Mercredi said.

"I couldn't care less."

The well-known Metis elder insists the photos were given to him, not just loaned.

He is using the photos to prepare a pictorial book about Metis elders to be called "Where Are They Now?"

A group of Metis elders in Fort Smith gathered May 9 to discuss the photos.

All are angry at Mercredi for borrowing the family photos, some many years ago, and not returning them.

Febula Bohnet said she loaned Mercredi several photos, including one original picture of her father talking to Queen Elizabeth when she visited Fort Smith many years ago.

"He told me I would have them back in two weeks time," she said, noting that was about 20 years ago.

Several of the elders said Mercredi has original pictures of their parents, while they only have photocopies.

Ron Mabbitt said almost every Metis family in Fort Smith has photos with Mercredi.

Louise Fraser noted many people are offended that Mercredi may be making money off the photos. "It's not right. It's a sin."

The issue of the photographs has been around for about 20 years, but recently became public when Mercredi claimed the Northwest Territory Metis Nation had not lived up to a handshake agreement to pay $25,000 for 400 historic photos, three boxes of slides and four reels of Super 8 film.

At the time, the Metis Nation said it did buy some photos from Mercredi a couple of years ago, but there are no outstanding payments due.Mercredi, who has been collecting photographs since 1970, estimates he has about 60,000. All are of the Western Arctic with some dating back to 1900.