Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 06/00) - A growing rift between several locals of the Metis may result in some bad feeling between some of the members and Metis Nation president George Morin says he's caught in the middle.

Morin says a handful of disgruntled members have called for his resignation but he's staying on "to fight for the rights of Metis people.

"It's a feud between the North and the South and a few individuals who are trying to bring the nation down," Morin said. "They had a meeting right after the assembly in Fort Simpson."

During the annual general assembly last Sept. 12, a resolution was adopted to define who is Metis.

The resolution reads as follows: 'Metis means: a) a person who is of mixed Indian and non-Indian descent; and who, b) is not registered as an Indian under the Indian Act.'

Several members stormed out of the AGA, and according to Morin and documents obtained by News/North a new society was formed Sept. 12, by the disgruntled leaders.

"During the assembly, they left the meeting and went upstairs and signed on to this new organization," Morin said.

According to the application for incorporation, the individuals who formed the Mackenzie Metis Nation are: Charlie Furlong from Aklavik, Richard C. Lafferty Jr. from Fort Providence; Bernie MacNeil of Inuvik; Mavis Clark in Tsiigehtchic; Winter Lennie in Norman Wells; and Albertine Rodh in Fort Simpson.

The Mackenzie Metis have passed a resolution to "wind-up and distribute the nation's assets."

Morin said he's looking out for the interests of the Metis people -- not just a handful of leaders. He said he's seen no indication or evidence that the leaders are acting on behalf of their people.

"I'm in a position where I'm right in the middle, where I'm trying to appease both southern and Northern locals," he said. "I haven't seen any board meeting minutes and or annual general assembly minutes from those locals that would give them the mandate to pass a vote of non-confidence against me or to dissolve the Metis Nation," Morin said.

The next step for Morin is preparing the nation's financial affairs and getting set for an AGA. Morin has called for a spending freeze and is conducting a comprehensive audit of the books.

To further air the concerns of the locals, Morin has taken steps to establish a dispute resolution committee as per the request of two of the members. Morin has contacted all the locals seeking members to sit on the committee.

"If these people who are attacking us have issue, they can appear before the chairman or the committee itself," he said.

"I'm planning to have our assembly the last two weeks in July," he said. "Yellowknife is the most cost- effective place to hold it."

The president said he's concerned with the possibility of people drawing from both the benefits pool of First Nations and the Metis locals.

"I want to remove the perception of double dipping," he said. "Our health benefits package only covers 80 per cent and treaty get 100 per cent, so I don't know why (the Mackenzie Metis) would want to be covered by ours, unless they were after the administration fee we receive with our health and benefits package."

"Once you're on the band list, the federal government defines you as an Indian and you are entitled to all the benefits and programs under that banner," he said.

On the same theme as the Metis defining their numbers, the Deh Cho First Nation have also taken steps to clarify their membership as they enter into framework agreement talks.

"The Deh Cho First Nation recently passed a resolution saying you're either Dene or Metis," he said. "This is certainly going to help out the avenue of settling claims and it clarifies for the chiefs and for the Metis presidents just who is on their membership lists."

Morin sympathizes with the membership and says he's only looking out for the best interests of the Metis people.

"This is stressful for all Metis, because of our links with First Nations people, but we are playing with the cards we're dealt," Morin said. "I can't allow non-Metis to determine what the Metis Nation will do.

"We've been fighters for a long time and until we become equal aboriginals in the governments' eyes, that fight will continue."