Splinter group reps speak to Local 14

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Representatives of the Alberta Metis Nation Alliance recently spoke at a meeting of the Calgary Metis Local 14, to gain support for their splinter group.

AMNA president Ron LaRocque and vice-president Jo-Ann Daniels spoke at the assembly at the request of the local. About 25 members, including Zone 3 vice-president Peter Pelletier, listened to the speakers and expressed concern over the Metis Association of Alberta (MAA).

Some in attendance were upset over the lack of progress they say is occurring with the MAA. But Pelletier defended the organization, saying the MAA is not receiving adequate input from its membership.

"We have to receive direction from you in order for us to act on it," Pelletier told the group.

But LaRocque and Daniels say the MAA no longer represents the true Metis spirit. "The main reason the people in my zone left is that we felt our will as Metis has been submerged in the Metis Association of Alberta," explained Daniels.

To the suggestion that she and LaRocque formed AMNA out of bitterness after losing in the September Metis elections, Daniels replied the decision to form a splinter group arose from pressure from the local of which she was formerly president.

"It wasn't an easy decision for me (to form a new group) . . . a number of people came to me and asked for direction," she said. LaRocque added, "We felt the leadership did not represent Metis people."

LaRocque and Daniels formed AMNA in October of 1987 and have a present membership of 250. Two members of Local 14 joined AMNA on Jan. 31 and several more picked up application forms.

In a telephone interview after the meeting, Peter Pelletier told Windspeaker he felt AMNA "upsets" the unity of Alberta's Metis "and that's just what the government wants." He added he was not worried about losing his members to the splinter group, adding he thinks "they'll stay united."

Jim White, president and treasurer of Zone 3, felt all Metis locals are strong in the south. "Sure, any group has disunity but you always have opposition parties. Look at the opposition parties in Alberta . . . they're just voices in the wilderness."

White added "there is 100 per cent participation by locals in regional council meetings."' He felt some presidents are not as active in these meetings as others "but that's no different than any other lace. Some participate and some just belong."

He compared the leadership of the splinter group to "a kid that doesn't like what's going on so he takes his boat and goes home."

But Daniels and LaRocque hope to see the number of AMNA members grow to 5,000 by the end of the year. "I don't see that as an unreasonable number. The first 250 came to us. This is the first time we have gone out looking for members," said LaRocque.

Because AMNA has rejected core government funding, the group has a membership fee of $20, payable in instalments. Members of AMNA are not required to give up their membership with MAA, but according to LaRocque, once new members see AMNA prove itself, members will readily leave the MAA.