(March 29, 2025) The entire Board of Directors of the Fraser Valley Métis Association (FVMA) resigned this week pointing the finger of blame largely at Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) alleging that MNBC’s actions not only undermined the autonomy and cultural safety of their community but also stood in direct contradiction to their own (MNBC’s) Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy, Community Charter Agreement and Governance policies.
In its release announcing the resignations, the FVMA Board also blamed the actions of Appellants who had filed a complaint with the MNBC Senate which they claim resulted in what they called the weaponization of the Senate to exert state-like authority over their community.
The day after the FVMA release MNBC issued its own statement through its President Walter Mineault using heavy handed language and expressing the view in so many words that the FVMA Board had failed to follow the rules but that MNBC would re-establish democracy. In his statement, the MNBC President claimed (in part) that the previous FVMA Board had ‘…demonstrated a complete disdain for democracy, defied our governance and judicial structures and indeed disregarded MNBC’s Constitution as well as their Chartered Agreement’.
The former President of MNBC and now President of Red River Métis British Columbia Clara Morin DalCol called the statement from Walter Mineault pretty rich given how the former MNBC Board treated her when they ousted her from the Presidency of MNBC in January 2021.
Ms. Morin DalCol says, “He accuses the FVMA Board of ‘a complete disdain for democracy’ but yet that is exactly what the MNBC Board did in January 2021 when they ousted me from the position of MNBC President just four months after MNBC Citizens had re-elected me in a province-wide election.” She says, “For the MNBC Board it is do as I say, not as I do. What an example of hypocrisy!”
She says, “Whoever is writing Mineault’s material for him doesn’t realize that some of us have long memories about the previous Board’s antics when it comes to following the MNBC Constitution, or supporting the interpretation of certain provisions that were just plain wrong.”
Ms. Morin DalCol says, “MNBC needs to clean up its own house when it comes to good governance and following their laws before telling a community what they should do.”
“For example,” she says, “Where’s the missing Treasurer’s Report that the MNGA Act required to be presented at the MNGA earlier this month, or why hasn’t the Board posted an annual operating budget for the last three years, or why doesn’t the MNBC Board tell us how much it cost to have Board Member Dean Gladue travel all the way to Finland in January to attend a hockey tournament for a few days, or why does it take so long for MNBC Board minutes to be posted so that MNBC Citizens know what decisions are being made behind closed doors, or why does the MNBC Board have so many in-camera meetings?”
“I say again to MNBC – clean up your own house before telling others to clean up theirs.”
The President of Red River Métis British Columbia has a special message to MNBC citizens and other Métis people in British Columbia who have grown tired of how MNBC operates and how they spend the citizens’ funds. Ms. Morin DalCol says, “It is time for true Métis to come and join our grassroots organization. Any true Métis residing in British Columbia who meets our criteria, including the national definition of Métis can apply to join as a member of our Métis organization which is based right here in British Columbia. You can apply to join us by clicking on https://www.presidentclara.com/get-involved
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