CJOB News Team reporting
3/8/2013
The Supreme Court of Canada has sided with the Metis in a 142-year-old land-claim dispute.
The SCOC says the Crown didn't lend up to its side of an agreement that led to Manitoba becoming Canada's fifth province.
The Manitoba Metis Federation says the federal government was supposed to set aside thousands of kilometres of land for the Red River Metis and their children, land which included all of Winnipeg as it stands today.
Phil Mailhot of the St. Boniface Museum tells CJOB the decision will be a bargaining chip for the Metis...
"My understanding is that today's court decision is simply a declaration by the court that says the Metis were wronged and that this will give the Metis a stronger position with which to enter into negotiations with the federal government for some kind of compensation. Winnipeggers and Manitobans I don't think have to live in fear that all of a sudden, people are going to be walking up their front yards saying 'this land is my land'".
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ORIGINAL STORY:
A 142-year-old land dispute between the federal government and the Manitoba Metis federation will be settled by the Supreme Court today (fri).
The Manitoba Metis Federation argue that Ottawa broke a promise of land made by Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, which helped convince Louis Riel and other Metis leaders to end the Red River Rebellion.
The Metis are asking the Supreme Court to declare that Canada failed to uphold its constitutional obligation.
Winnipeg constitutional lawyer Brian Schwartz says the main ramifications of the decision will likely be political:
"We'll have to wait and see how it affects the bargaining chips on both sides of the table, there are just so many different possibilities as to how this turns out."
Schwartz says the full implications of the Supreme Court's ruling likely won't be known for months.
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