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it frustrates me beyond all ends that there is an ahistorical rhetoric that drives much Metis governing policy by governing bodies. now, i want to be clear: i do not recognize the BC Metis Federation as a Metis governing body, they are a non profit Metis org.
this does not erase the current and future harm that BCMF's letter to Shuswap Tribal Council has and will cause. the assertion of rights in Secwepemc territory is completely ahistorical and the evidence that BCMF is putting forward is based in colonial law.
both @MichifMuss and @M_Gouldhawke discuss this on their twitters, and i recommend taking a look to see further conversations on this.
what i want to get at is that this sort of politic, that both the BCMF and MNBC are guilty of, goes directly against what i believe to be actual Metis governance and way of being. it is directly related to trying to extract money and resources of resource extraction projects.
this is a cash grab, and we can't look at it as any other way. you're telling me that BCMF trying to assert claim in Secwepemc territory has NOTHING to do with the TMX? this makes me physically ill.
this, to me, looks like a last minute scramble to try and assert claim in Secwepemc territory, in order to play into the ignorance and purposeful "consultation" process the federal and provincial gov't needs to do with Indigenous peoples for resource extraction projects.
this is abhorrent, disgusting, "pick me please benevolent white man" behaviour and it makes my blood boil. our ancestors did not fight for THIS. do you hear me @BCMetis? this sort of political move does NOTHING but drive a wedge between us and other Indigenous people.
this sort of move @BCMetis does NOTHING but play into colonial mentality that sees further divisions between us and makes us play into capitalistic imaginations of lands and rights. you're playing for white people, straight up, you're doing nothing but pandering to white people.
i want to know @BCMetis, who in membership, did you consult with? did you work with MNBC on this? did you consult with actual Metis people or did this come out of the brain trust of your board? this is embarrassing behaviour.
. @BCMetis did you get inspiration from the other illegitimate eastern Metis organizations that claim Mi'kmaq territory? did you wake up yesterday morning and purposefully decide to ignore your inherent duty to kinship?
. @BCMetis no one on your board is from BC, and what does that tell you? everyone is from the prairies, our homelands. this is not it, BC is not our homelands. we are visitors on BC territory and what you're doing is embarrassing us all in someone else's home.
. @BCMetis you're acting like the very same settlers that our ancestors fought against. you're working in bad faith on these lands, and this is beyond shameful behaviour. you're dragging down all Metis with you when you do this.
you @BCMetis are working against the actual hard community work Metis are doing to create good relationships with Indigenous peoples here. you're being selfish and profit driven, you're acting like white men. what would your ancestors think if they saw you now?
i don't view you as a legitimate governing body @BCMetis, i barely view you as a legitimate organization, but what you're doing is harmful. it's colonial, and it's dirty. we have no land rights here.
stop being a pick me Metis, breaking out the jig and a sash to entertain white officials, and start actually being apihtaw'kos'an. this is for both @BCMetis AND @MetisNationBC
i am livid.
