Metis fear for future because of census error

Page 5

Statistics Canada revealed last week that up to 125,000 people ? many of them immigrants ? have erroneously identified themselves as Metis, Inuit or North American Indian on the 1986 census form.

The mistake has made Metis Association of Alberta board member Ben Courtrille very unhappy.

"I'm not happy at all. We need those statistics very, very badly."

He says the association needs to know the count if they want to plan for future and to budget. "We don't want to be negotiating hypothetically for 15,000 Metis (if) we really have 100,00," he adds. He says the Metis need the complete picture of Metis life, including education levels, housing conditions and employment.

Although the federal government keeps population and other statistics on status Indians, there is little data on the Metis.

The census holds little interest, however, for the Indian Association of Alberta, which didn't sanction the June 1986 enumeration.

Many national Indian groups, wary of how the census would be used, also refused to take part.

"The data they would have collected wouldn't have been good data anyway," because of low participation, said IAA spokesperson Lou Demarais.