Metis Harvesting Ruling To Be Appealed

Metis Harvesting Ruling To Be Appealed

Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 14:06

The Crown is appealing a recent court decision regarding Metis harvesting rights in southern Saskatchewan.

Last month, a judge ruled that Regina Metis resident Don Belhumeur belonged to a rights-bearing Metis community — and shouldn’t have been charged with fishing without a licence in the Qu’Appelle Valley in 2002.

The Crown has disputed the existence of a historical Metis community there, as defined in the Supreme Court’s Powley decision.

Metis living in northern Saskatchewan have hunting and fishing rights based on previous court rulings — but the province has fought attempts to have those rights applied further south.

Metis Nation – Saskatchewan President Robert Doucette is calling on the new provincial government to negotiate a province-wide harvesting agreement with Metis — rather than continue to lose expensive battles in court.