What Treaty Does

There are many questions about what our Sacred Document does for the Métis Nation within Saskatchewan, and for our MN-S government. Below is a list of quick facts that reflect what the treaty does, and what it does not do.

• It formally recognizes our MN-S government as the government of the Métis Nationin Saskatchewan.
• It doesn’t: extend MN-S’ jurisdiction beyond Saskatchewan borders
• It recognizes MN-S jurisdiction over our elections, core governance, and citizenship
• It doesn’t: tell us how to exercise those areas of jurisdiction
• It commits Canada to develop a transparent, legal, and thorough path to addressing historic land claims.
• It doesn’t: immediately grant us ownership of land
• It protects our rights as constitutional rights so they cannot be undone.
• It doesn’t: extinguish, diminish, or limit any existing or future rights
• It recognizes the laws of our government (The MN-S Constitution) and ensures those laws cannot be overruled.
• It doesn’t: dictate what those laws are
• It commits Canada to providing stable funding to meet expenditure needs in our recognized areas of jurisdiction, allowing MN-S to be a strong, secure government for future generations.
• It doesn’t: suddenly grant us access to unlimited funding
• It provides a pathway for negotiation of future areas of jurisdiction (such as health, child and family services, education and more.)
• It doesn’t: grant MN-S citizens uninsured health benefits
• It moves MN-S away from a not-for-profit model to a Métis Government model
• It doesn’t: tell us what that government has to look like