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Métis Nation-Saskatchewan

The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) is a self-governing Métis political organization, representing the interests of Métis citizens across Saskatchewan. Its governance structure includes a Provincial Métis Council, regional representatives and local community councils, all working to uphold Métis rights, culture and self-determination. The MN-S has over 34,000 registered citizens. While Métis rights were constitutionally recognized in 1982 under section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, the MN-S formally adopted its own constitution on 3 December 1993.

Historical origins

As a group, the Métis have been instrumental to the creation of Canada. Métis in Saskatchewan formed out of trapping and hunting families from the Red River region, local fur-trading families and intermarriages with First Nations, Europeans and Euro-Canadians. Red River families moved to Saskatchewan after the Red River Resistance.

Batoche is a historic site for the Métis in general and the Saskatchewan Métis specifically. It was a cultural gathering place near present-day Prince Albert, in Centra Saskatchewan. It is also the site of the Battle of Batoche, the final battle in a conflict that took place in 1885 and is known as the North-West Resistance. The North-West Resistance involved Métis leaders Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont, along with local Métis people and First Nations, taking up arms against what was then called the Dominion of Canada. Their fight was for rights to land and self-governance.

“We left Manitoba because we were not free, and we came here to what was still a wild country in order to be free. And still they [English Canadians] will not leave us alone.”

Gabriel Dumont

After the North-West Resistance in 1885, the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) used vagrancy laws to restrict the movement of Indigenous peoples. They feared Indigenous peoples might attack the United States army from Canada or that Indigenous peoples on both sides of the border might form an alliance. Although some Métis families left Batoche after the 1885 resistance, many later returned. By 1915, however, many people in Batoche moved north to find jobs.

Métis communities began establishing political organizations.  Through organizations like the Saskatchewan Métis Society, which formed in 1937, leaders and communities worked towards recognition of Métis rights.  J.Z. LaRocque and others worked to create grassroots groups called “locals” modelled on labour organizations. A similar structure was implemented in Manitoba and Alberta.

Métis Flag

Accounts of oral history by Métis Elders say that, despite decades of assimilationist policy, a quiet pride in Métis heritage remained. In the 1960s in Saskatchewan, and across the Prairies, Métis people and leaders intensified their efforts to assert their rights as a people.

In 1964, the Métis Nation within Saskatchewan formed the Métis Society of Saskatchewan (now Métis Nation-Saskatchewan [MN-S]). The organization represented the interests of the Métis in Southern and Central Saskatchewan. In 1983, the MN-S (then known as Association of Métis and Non-Status Indians of Saskatchewan) was a founding member of the Métis National Council with the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (then known as the Métis Association of Alberta).

The MN-S adopted a constitution in 1993 that established themselves as a self-governing entity. The government of Saskatchewan passed The Métis Act in 2001 which distinguished the Métis as a self-government rather than a service-providing non-profit.

Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Cultural Institutions and Community Events

The Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN-S) provides cultural and social services to its citizens. The Gabriel Dumont Institute, established in 1980, serves as the educational arm of the MN-S. The institute offers culturally grounded programs, Michif language initiatives and academic training rooted in Métis history and identity.

The MN-S also supports the annual Back to Batoche Days event, held near the historic battle site. It brings together Métis people from across the country to celebrate music, storytelling, sport and cultural resilience.

The nation also hosts language and cultural programs, including a podcast that talks about teaching Michif as urban Métis. In 1997, the MN-S established The Clarence Campeau Development Fund. The fund assists Métis people with starting a business or growing their skills as business owners.

Contemporary Issues

Today, the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) continues to face several challenges such as land rights, education and cultural preservation. Although Supreme Court of Canada decisions such as R. v. Powley (2003), Manitoba Métis Federation v. Canada (2013) and Daniels v. Canada (2016) have affirmed Métis rights and federal responsibilities, the path toward self-government is still being sought in the courts and through legislation.

As part of these efforts, the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan has been working towards a modern treaty and self-government agreement. Saskatchewan Métis Elders have named the modern treaty negotiations Kishchi Mashinaayikun Ooshchi Michif, which means “the Sacred Document from the Michif.”

Efforts to preserve and revitalize culture are ongoing. Michif language programs, land-based learning and cultural gatherings like Back to Batoche Days aim to strengthen intergenerational knowledge and pride. However, the long history of assimilation, combined with ongoing social and economic pressures, continues to threaten cultural continuity.

The MN-S was part of the Métis National Council (MNC) until it withdrew in September 2024. A part of the resolution to withdraw stated that the MNC “has increasingly been used for advocacy purposes that are inconsistent with its original mandate and vision, diverting from the foundational role of representing Métis rights and self-determination”. In addition to concerns surrounding the MNC’s move towards self-government, the MN-S was concerned about the membership practices of the Métis Nation of Ontario, stating “Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) has accepted and continues to represent significant numbers of people who are not Métis, and the MNC has failed to ensure the integrity of MNO’s citizenship registry and rectify this ongoing problem.”

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Further Reading

  • Diane Payment, The free people = Li gens libres : a history of the Métis community of Batoche, Saskatchewan (2009).

  • Janique Dubois, "From Service Providers to Decision Makers: Building a Métis Government in Saskatchewan" in Métis in Canada: History, Identity, Law and Politics (2013).

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