Manitoba Métis Federation plans to take province to court

The leader of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) says it plans to take the province to court over unconstitutional restrictions against Indigenous hunters.

MMF President David Chartrand said the Manitoba government is treating Métis hunters like criminals and is ignoring their hunting rights.

"It is Pallister's government still lingering with those policies that are trying to hurt my people – what they've forgot to take into consideration is that the MMF will never allow that to happen to my people. We will go to court," Chartrand said.\

A claim is set to be filed this week.

Chartrand alleges that Métis hunters have been detained by RCMP until conservation officers arrived on the scene to charge the group. He said this occured despite the fact that Metis hunters had been selected by the MMF for a limited sustainable moose harvest in the Duck and Porcupine Mountains and that they were following Métis laws and had proper tags.

"Despite the availability of interim harvesting opportunities for Indigenous communities, the MMF has proceeded unilaterally by issuing its own hunting tags, recognizing that this could lead to charges for illegally killed moose," the provincial spokesperson retorted in a statement to CTV News.

"Conservation officers have responsibilities to appropriately investigate and enforce the moose conservation closure and ask for the assistance of local RCMP where required. Any individuals illegally hunting moose are charged and released on appearance notices and the moose and their firearms may be seized."