Landmark Case Decision Released March 8, 2013

On Friday March 8, 2013 the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in the landmark case case of Manitoba Métis Federation Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General). This decision marks the end of a decades long legal process and the potential beginning of historic and wide reaching land claims cases for the Métis in Manitoba.

The full court decision can be read and downloaded here.

The Manitoba Métis Federation sought a declaration dealing specifically with subsection 31 and 32 of the Manitoba Act which granted Métis children 1.4 million acres of land and recognized existing landholdings by the Métis. This land was not granted effectively resulting in the majority (with Supreme Court of Canada judges Rothstein and Moldaver dissenting) to agree that:

“(the) federal Crown failed to implement the land grand provision set out in s. 31 of the Manitoba Act, 1870 in accordance with the honour of the Crown”.