R. v. Powley “only the beginning” for Métis Rights
- Ontario Métis Facts
- Sep 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 22
The Supreme Court of Canada’s unanimous decision in R. v. Powley on September 19, 2003 affirmed that members of the historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community have a constitutionally protected right to harvest and laid a foundation for further Métis rights recognition across the Métis Homeland from the Upper Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains.
Days after the Supreme Court’s Powley ruling, after having “took time to understand the court ruling and its implications”, Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand told MMF citizens that, “This is only the beginning. This decision clearly has impacts beyond hunting and will open the door for the legal and political recognition of our rights”, going on to proudly reiterate the MMF’s strong support for Powley, stating, “The MMF as a Governing Member of the Metis National Council supported the Powley case as we felt it would move our rights agenda forward.”
Indeed, the landmark Powley decision laid the groundwork for subsequent Métis rights cases across the Métis Homeland and has been instrumental in affirming and protecting Métis rights on the Prairies, where it has been successfully relied upon in cases such as R. v. Laviolette (2005), R. v. Belhumeur (2007), and R. v. Goodon (2009) to ensure Métis harvesters can exercise their right to hunt and feed their communities in northern Saskatchewan, southern Saskatchewan, and southwestern Manitoba, respectively.
The firm foundation for Métis rights recognition built through Powley has also contributed to the successful negotiation of more comprehensive provincial Métis rights recognition and harvesting agreements across the Homeland that continue to benefit countless Métis families to this day.
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