Firearms returned to Métis hunters
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/08/2022 (1284 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Manitoba Métis Federation says apparent charges against three Métis hunters are a violation of their rights as Métis people.
The alleged charges have not been made public and remain unclear. The Sun contacted the RCMP on Monday and Tuesday to clarify the charges, but didn’t receive a response by press time. The province failed to clarify the circumstances as well.
According to the MMF, firearms were seized from three Red River Métis citizens who were hunting with tags under the federation’s 2021-22 moose conservation harvesting initiative around the Duck and Porcupine mountains, located more than 300 kilometres north of Brandon.
Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand. (File)
A specific date wasn’t disclosed, and the MMF said the hunters wished to remain anonymous “out of concern for the potential ramifications.”
The firearms were recently returned to the hunters, according to a Tuesday press release from the MMF. However, the federation claims the alleged charges against the hunters had not been dropped as of Tuesday.
The federation didn’t disclose the details of the incident in which the hunters had their firearms seized, but MMF President David Chartrand told the Sun he believes the incident didn’t warrant criminal charges.
“We believe [the province] should be held accountable for dragging those people through the courts, for painting their name and reputation, making them sound like they’re criminals,” Chartrand said.
When reached for comment, Manitoba Justice provided this response on Tuesday: “There is a provision in the Provincial Offences Act to allow for the release of a seized item. If an accused hunts for sustenance, they may make application for the return of their firearms. The POA allows for these to be released unless the Crown needs them to prove their case.”
» The Brandon Sun, with files from Miranda Leybourne