“one of the oldest and well-recognized Métis communities”

R. v. Powley brought Métis from across the Homeland together around the common cause of having the Supreme Court of Canada affirm that the distinct Métis rights enshrined in Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution in 1982 had tangible legal meaning and protections.

As part of its support for R. v. Powley, the Métis Nation—through the Métis National Council—intervened at the Supreme Court of Canada in defense of the Powley family and the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community. In its intervention, the Métis Nation not only affirmed its unanimous position that “the Métis community at Sault Ste. Marie is a part of the Métis Nation,” but also went a step further to recognize the community’s historic significance within the broader Métis Nation, stating:

“The Intervener agrees with the conclusions of the RCAP Report that the Sault Ste. Marie Métis community is one of the oldest and well-recognized Métis communities within Canada.”

In its final 1996 report, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) highlighted the “particularly long and eventful history” of the Métis community in Sault Ste. Marie and recognized it as one of the better-known historic Métis communities, alongside the Red River, White Horse Plains, Pembina, Batoche, and St. Albert.

The Métis Nation’s strong affirmation of the Powleys and their Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community was one of the many factors that led to R. v. Powley’s unanimous victory at the Supreme Court in 2003 that opened the door to numerous future advancements that continue to benefit all Métis from the Upper Great Lakes-westward to this day.

See Our Sources

• MNC’s Supreme Court Factum in Powley

• Clement Chartier Presents MNC’s Powley Intervention at SCC

• Supreme Court of Canada Decision in R. v. Powley, 2003

• Hunt for Justice: The Powley Story

• Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, Métis Perspectives

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