Metis lists swell in Nova Scotia

The list of people claiming to be Metis in the Maritimes is growing as a result of a Supreme Court decision.

The ruling, known as the Powley case, recognized a group in Ontario as Metis and gave its members the same hunting and fishing rights as native people.

Now people claiming to be Metis in the Maritimes want the same benefits.

Carole Lebelle roi Solkum, the membership clerk for the New Brunswick Aboriginal People's Council in Fredericton, says there has been a rise in claims since the Powley case.

"Most of the meetings we've held we've had Metis come out and identify themselves," she says.

It's unclear how many people are claiming Metis status. Different groups are filling out forms, and estimates are in the thousands.

Bob Frelick calls himself Metis, claiming he's part native and part European. He says the growing number of people with similar claims does have a lot to do with money.

"When you talk about a financial gain then everybody wants to get into the action," he says.

Barbara Leblanc disputes that. She's a Metis from the Annapolis Valley who says money has nothing to do with her claim.

"Is it the money we're after? I can't say it is personally. Education, yes definitely, and like you said that pie is going to get smaller for [First Nations]," she says.

Defining who is Metis

Historians and legal experts say that people with mixed European and native blood are not Metis. They also agree that claimants must belong to a recognized Metis community, which they say doesn't exist in Eastern Canada. The Metis homeland stops at Ontario, according to the Metis National Council.

• Metis National Council - Who are the Metis?

Many First Nations groups are not keen on the Metis claims either.

Tony Cunningham, who calls himself a Metis from Nova Scotia, disagrees but says he understands the natives' position.

"I can answer this way: If you had a gold mine you wouldn't me to be panning for gold on the weekends in your gold mine," he says.

Jack Hatfield, a Nova Scotian who claims to be Metis, is going to court in January for shooting a deer out of season.

Metis groups in Eastern Canada are hoping the case will prove he had the aboriginal right to kill and keep the animal, and whether or not other Metis deserve the same rights as Metis in Western Canada.