An academic summit hosted by Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin (RHW) in Sault Ste Marie has drawn controversy after members of Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) alleged that the summit amounted to an attack on their history. RHW described the two-day conference, titled “The (Un)Making of Métis Claims in Ontario,” as an event bringing together scholars and historians to “critically examine the historical, political, and legal foundations of the MNO.” MNO member Kim Powley wrote a letter describing the conference as a “hate rally” that constituted “a direct attack on who we are as Métis people, and on my family’s integrity and legacy.” Speaking on behalf of RHW, Anishinabek Nation Lake Huron Regional Chief Scott McLeod refuted these claims and asserted that the organization was “hoping to foster dialogue grounded in truth and respect.” City News reports that a growing body of research commissioned by First Nations calls into question the existence of historical Métis communities in their territories; MNO has reportedly dismissed the research as “politically motivated” and has issued a statement on rising anti-Métis rhetoric and misinformation.
