Today, Senior Officials of the Métis National Council, its Governing Members and Patrick Boucher, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for First Nations and Inuit Health within Indigenous Services Canada, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Métis health and wellness.The Memorandum of Understanding will set the stage for and guide the development of a Sub-Accord on Métis health and wellness. The signing of this document is important in that it re-affirms Canada’s commitment to building a nation-to-nation, government-to-government relationship with the Métis Nation. The signing ceremony took place just hours before the Canada-Métis Nation Leaders Meeting. Further to this, it begins a response to Recommendation #10 from a recent study by the House Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs on non-insured health benefits which states:
"That the Government of Canada work with Métis governments and organizations to ensure Métis people who are currently not eligible for Non-Insured Health Benefits have access to health services comparable to that of other Indigenous people; and that the Government of Canada do so while continuing to close the gap in services between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations."
The Leaders Meeting is the continuation of the Permanent Bilateral Mechanism process established in 2017 through the Canada-Métis Nation Accord. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Canada on shared priorities and ensuring the health and wellness of the Métis Nation in the future.
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