Special Statement by President David Chartrand in response to AFN National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak's denial of our existence

October 26, 2026

Winnipeg, MB, in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis - Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, heard the prejudiced and inaccurate remarks of AFN's National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak regarding the existence of our people with disgust.

Her comments are: "The federal government has been telling us who we are and who we aren't for a long time, and it's creating a group in this country . . . a lot of pretendians that don't know who they are because the government says you don't belong to that band, when in fact many of them do. And you're creating this big group of Métis people across this country that probably have First Nations roots and are not some new group that are being creating in this country. I know that they're uncomfortable conversations but they're the truth. I mean First Nations, we're the only group, along with the Inuit to begin with."

My government viewed this First Ministers/First Nations meeting positively, and held our First Nations relatives in our prayers for their success. Instead of appreciating our support and well wishes, National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak chose to waste her public platform in creating false narratives about the Red River Métis, instead of advancing the First Nations agenda.

Our Red River Métis identity, our existence, and our history in this country are not up for debate, nor are they up for dismissal by any other Indigenous group in this country, especially a non-rights holding organization. The Red River Métis are the founders of Manitoba and Canada's partners in Confederation. The Supreme Court of Canada has already ruled that the Honour of the Crown was engaged with us in 1870, prior to the first of the numbered treaties being signed.

We are a part of the fabric of this country, and our efforts not only contributed to the development of this country called Canada, but - through the 1869 List of Rights that informed the Manitoba Act - specifically called for treaties with the First Nations in our Homeland so their rights would be respected.

We have showed our unity, our strength, and our distinct ways as a people over hundreds of years, before Canada was a country. We made it very clear in 1816 that we were - and will always be - a Nation. Our history is real, our place in Canada's constitution is real, and our contributions to the present and future of this country on behalf of our Nation remain strong, no matter who tries to score political points by taking cheap and uniformed shots at us.

We are saddened by National's Chief Woodhouse Nepinak's uninformed views, but there can be no doubt that I will not stand by and let anyone abuse the Red River Métis or dismiss our existence.

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For more information, media may contact:
Kat Patenaude
Media Relations Advisor
Manitoba Métis Federation
204-801-7710
Kat [dot] Patenaude [at] mmf [dot] mb [dot] ca

Believe in Yourself; Believe in Métis.

The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) is the democratically elected National Government of the Red River Métis, also known as the Manitoba Métis. The Red River Métis are a distinct Indigenous Nation and People and Canada's Negotiating Partners in Confederation and the Founders of the Province of Manitoba.

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