As I reflect on my first year serving as President of the Métis National Council, I do so with a deep sense of responsibility: to our Governing Members, to Métis citizens across the homeland, and to the generations who have carried this Nation forward through perseverance, advocacy, and vision.
For more than 40 years, since 1983, the Métis National Council has served as a national institution supporting Métis governments through policy leadership, convening, research, and national and international advocacy. That history matters, not as a point of nostalgia, but as a foundation for the work before us. Institutions endure because they adapt, renew, and recommit to purpose. Over the past year, my focus has been on ensuring that the MNC does exactly that.
This has been a year of stabilization, renewal, and intentional governance work. Together, we have been advancing a revitalization agenda grounded in transparency, accountability, and clarity of role that re-anchors the MNC as a trusted convener and policy engine for Métis governments. This work is not always visible, but it is essential. Strong intergovernmental relationships are built on strong internal governance, and credibility is earned through consistency and follow-through.
As we look ahead to 2026, it is clear that Métis governance is entering a defining period. This year marks ten years since the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Daniels, which affirmed federal jurisdiction over Métis and non-status Indians. It also marks a decade since the federal government received the report A Matter of National and Constitutional Import, which laid out a clear roadmap for reconciling with Métis peoples through recognition, relationship-building, and practical implementation of Section 35 rights.
Ten years on, the gap between constitutional recognition and tangible outcomes remains too wide. Progress has been uneven, and in many areas, Métis governments are still pressing for the practical expression of rights that have long been affirmed in law. This reality reinforces why governance capacity, coordination, and national alignment among Métis governments matter now more than ever.
The MNC’s role in this moment is clear. We exist to support Métis governments as they exercise self-determination. To provide national coordination where it adds value, to convene when collective action strengthens outcomes, and to serve as an effective interface with Parliament, federal institutions, and international partners. This is not about centralization, it is about alignment, respect for jurisdiction, and shared strategic purpose.
Recent national discussions underscore the importance of this approach. We welcomed Prime Minister Carney’s recent remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos emphasizing that Canada’s strength is rooted in values-based leadership, democratic accountability, and reconciliation. Métis governments have long practiced these principles. We know that early engagement, mutual accountability, and distinctions-based partnerships lead to stronger policy outcomes and more durable implementation.
Métis citizens are among the fastest-growing populations in Canada, with a young and increasingly urban workforce contributing meaningfully to the national economy. Métis-owned businesses operate in sectors critical to Canada’s resilience from construction and manufacturing to skilled trades and professional services. Across the homeland, Métis governments are using the tools of self-government to deliver services, support inclusive growth, and build systems that will endure.
The work ahead in 2026 is therefore both urgent and hopeful. It is about organizing across jurisdictions, strengthening intergovernmental relationships, and ensuring that Métis governments are positioned as full partners in advancing national priorities from economic development and housing to defence, infrastructure, and reconciliation. It is about building bridges at home, so that Canada can be stronger abroad.
As President, my commitment is to continue advancing this work with steadiness and purpose, to ensure that the Métis National Council remains a credible, flexible, and forward-looking national institution. Nation-building is not accomplished through one-time actions. It is achieved through sustained relationships, clear governance, and a shared vision for the future.
The year ahead will reflect that philosophy. The steps we are taking now are part of a broader, long-term effort to strengthen Métis governance and to ensure that our place within Canada’s constitutional and intergovernmental landscape is not only recognized, but fully realized.
Victoria Pruden
President
Métis National Council