March 3, 2026.
ANISHINABEK NATION HEAD OFFICE (March 3, 2026) News Release.
"To the investors, mining companies, government representatives, and stakeholders gathered at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Conference in Toronto, the Anishinabek Nation, which supports and advocates for 39 member First Nations across Ontario, wishes to be clear: true certainty in critical minerals development can only be achieved through genuine, equitable partnership with our nations.
For too long, our rights and territories have been disrespected during resource development. As stewards of these lands for millennia, our Nation’s rights—both inherent and treaty—will be recognized and respected as the foundation of responsible development. Without our full and meaningful participation, projects are inherently uncertain, unstable, and unsustainable.
We acknowledge the global demand for critical minerals and the economic opportunities it presents; however, these opportunities must not come at the expense of our Nation’s rights, environment, or future generations. The only way to ensure certainty and long-term success is through partnerships built on mutual respect, trust, and shared benefit.
This means that when considering projects, investors, mining companies, government representatives, and stakeholders must move forward observing and acknowledging the following:
- Genuine partnership takes time: Our member First Nations will only engage in projects as true partners—with decision-making authority, respect for our Traditional Knowledge, and benefit-sharing.
- Consent must be fully respected: Our member First Nations will exercise their right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) must be integral to any project. Projects that proceed without our member First Nations’ consent or do not incorporate the UNDRIP in a project may be viewed as illegitimate and will have the potential to face fierce opposition.
- Legal and Treaty rights are paramount: Any development must adhere strictly to treaties and inherent rights, with clear mechanisms for enforcement and accountability.
- Environmental and cultural protections are essential: First Nation sacred sites, waters, and ecosystems must be protected. These are not negotiable. First Nation Traditional Knowledge and concerns are integral to sustainable development.
On behalf of our member First Nations, we call on all investors, industry leaders, and government officials to recognize that certainty in resource development is rooted in respect and partnership with our First Nations that are the original stewards of these lands, which do not include those who identify as part of the Métis Nation of Ontario. Any attempt to sideline or bypass our member First Nations will not only jeopardize project success but also undermine the legitimacy of the development process itself.
The Anishinabek Nation member First Nations stand ready to collaborate with those who are committed to respectful engagement and shared prosperity. Our member First Nations will not accept projects that violate our rights or ignore our sovereignty. Our future—and the future of our children—depends on building relationships founded on trust, respect, and shared benefit.
To achieve real certainty, let us work together as true partners—First Nations, Industry, and Government. Anything less is a risk to all projects going forward.
We are here, we are present, and our member First Nations will defend our rights and our lands.
Miigwech,
Linda DebassigeE’ntami-niigaanzid Gimaa (Grand Council Chief)Anishinabek Nation "
The Anishinabek Nation is a political advocate for 39 member First Nations across Ontario, representing approximately 70,000 citizens. The Anishinabek Nation is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.
- The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is in a major dispute with Ontario First Nations over the legitimacy of six "new, historic" Métis communities recognized in 2017. First Nations argue the MNO is infringing on their territory and creating "new" Métis groups from non-distinct, mixed-ancestry families. The conflict focuses on land claims, self-government rights, and the potential impact of Bill C-53, which would recognize the MNO's right to self-governance. Key Points of the Dispute:Recognition Challenges: Chiefs of Ontario and various tribal councils (e.g., Wabun Tribal Council) argue the MNO represents individuals without a distinct, historical, organized Métis community in their areas.
- Territorial Overlap: First Nations claim the MNO is expanding its footprint into their traditional lands, potentially impacting treaty rights and land use.
- Bill C-53 Opposition: First Nations are lobbying against federal Bill C-53, which would formally recognize the MNO as a self-governing nation, fearing it will infringe on their sovereignty.
- MNO Position: The MNO cites the 2003 R. v. Powley Supreme Court decision and maintains that its members have a legitimate, historic, and distinct community recognized by both Ontario and Canada.
- Increased Conflict: The dispute has escalated from political lobbying to court battles and intense rhetoric, with First Nations questioning the funding and legitimacy of the MNO. The conflict remains ongoing, with significant legal and political challenges to the MNO's assertions of rights and recognition in various parts of Ontario.
In December of 2025 the Metis Nation of Ontario issued this statement :
"The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is deeply concerned by the growing wave of anti-Métis rhetoric and identity-based attacks emerging from Ontario to Alberta. What we are witnessing is not an isolated disagreement or a localized dispute. It is part of a broader and increasingly coordinated effort to de-legitimize Métis peoples, undermine long recognized and hard-fought rights, and erase historic Métis communities.
This resurgence of anti-Métis activism is rooted in misinformation and false narratives that ignore generations of lived community history. It seeks to cast doubt on truths that until very recently were widely understood and acknowledged by Métis Nation leaders, First Nations leadership, and non-Indigenous governments alike. These efforts are not grounded in good-faith. Instead, they selectively dismiss inconvenient facts, deny Métis people a voice, and attempt to fracture relationships between Indigenous peoples for political, professional, and financial gain.
The historical record is clear. Métis communities have existed in the Upper Great Lakes, northern Ontario, and the prairies since the early nineteenth century as distinct communities with their own social, cultural, and economic practices. The existence of the Upper Great Lakes Métis was definitively recognized twenty-two years ago in R. v. Powley, when the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously affirmed the existence of a Métis community in and around Sault Ste. Marie, with existing rights protected under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Powley was not pursued in isolation. Métis Nation governments from across the Homeland stood together in unanimous support, providing evidence of a historic Métis Nation and its communities, including affirming that “Sault Ste. Marie is part of the Métis Nation.” First Nations were asked by the Crown to oppose the case and chose not to do so, because they knew who the Métis of the Upper Great Lakes were and had respectfully coexisted for generations.
When the Powley decision was released, First Nations leaders celebrated alongside the Métis. The Assembly of First Nations publicly described the decision as “a victory for constitutional rights.” Anishinabek Nation leaders welcomed the Métis harvesting agreement that followed, recognizing it as long-overdue justice. As recently as this year, the AFN reaffirmed the Powley decision’s place in Canadian constitutional law. This history of mutual recognition and respect matters, and it cannot be erased by modern attempts at historical revisionism.
Yet today, a small but vocal group is attempting to rewrite this shared history with rhetoric that targets Métis people as illegitimate, fraudulent, or unproven. This is not simply an issue faced by Métis communities in Ontario. First Nations in northern Manitoba have recently asserted there are no historic or current Métis community in their territory. In December 2025 the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs appeared before the Supreme Court arguing that “unproven” Métis rights in Manitoba threaten complicate the implantation of historic First Nations treaties.
Regardless of location, these attacks are personal for Métis citizens, families, and communities. They aim to erase generations of Métis who proudly asserted their identity and defended their way of life, not for personal gain, but for dignity, survival, and justice. Similar conduct directed at any other Indigenous or ethnic group would rightly be condemned. Métis communities should be no exception.
The MNO remains focused on the safety and well-being of its citizens, and on advancing Métis self-government and treaty relationships through lawful, respectful processes. We remain committed to working with First Nations, non-Indigenous governments, and partners throughout Canadian society who engage in good faith and with respect for truth, history, and Indigenous rights. Our door is and has always been open.
The MNO rejects division and erasure in all their forms. Métis people and communities in Ontario are not new. They are part of this land’s past, present, and future. No campaign of misinformation, no revision of history, and no attempt at intimidation will undo what generations of Métis and First Nations peoples once affirmed together."
The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) is the democratically elected—federally and provincially recognized—government of Métis citizens and communities in Ontario, including the Métis community in and around Sault Ste. Marie that was recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada in R v. Powley.
Further investigation is needed to verify if any of the Sault Tribe Members may be descendants from the MNO which may allow them to apply for MNO Citizenship.
https://www.ontariometisfacts.com/all-articles/categories/sault-ste-marie-metis-community
photo credit - Saulte Ste Marie Area FB Post
