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  Excerpt:For Immediate Release News Release MNC Settlement Agreement Between Parties Finalized and Signed -Agreement not Determined by the Courts but by the Parties  OTTAWA (January 18, 2008) — The majority of the members of the Métis NationalCouncil (MNC) Board of Governors, consisting of the Métis Nation of British Columbia (MNBC)President Bruce Dumont, Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) President Audrey Poitras, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) President Robert Doucette and Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) PresidentTony Belcourt want to set the record straight on what occurred as a result of a Settlement Conference held before Métis Justice Todd Ducharme in Toronto on January 3, 2008.Justice Ducharme gave effect to the terms of that Settlement Agreement on January 14, 2008 at therequest of all Parties.
The Settlement Conference, which was not a judicial hearing, was requested by PresidentsDumont, Poitras, Doucette and Belcourt in an attempt to avoid having key questions of MetisGovernance decided in the Courts, as was the preference of Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF)
President David Chartrand and Past MNC President Clem Chartier. Although both Chartrand and
Chartier opposed having the Settlement Conference due to their preference for using the Courts,Presidents Dumont, Poitras, Doucette and Belcourt believed in Metis self governance and pressed

the Court to order a Settlement Conference rather than litigation, a request that was granted.

In a joint statement Presidents Dumont, Poitras, Doucette and Belcourt said “We were

disappointed that Clem Chartier and David Chartrand were opposed to resolving this matter within

the Metis Nation rather than through the Courts. We pressed hard to have the critical matter of

democratic elections within the MNC dealt with by the Metis people and not the Courts. We were

pleased that the Court shared our concern and ordered the Settlement Conference. We are also

very pleased that we were able to recommence the General Assembly by working within the Metis

Nation rather than through the Courts. Our efforts to settle this within the Metis Nation have

resulted in another step forward for the Metis Nation and Metis self governance.”

Contrary to the inaccurate statements by MMF President Chartrand and former MNC

President Chartier, the Settlement Conference resulted in an Agreement between the “Parties”, not

a court ruling, and was rendered as a “Consent Order” because it was requested by the “Parties”:

the “Plaintiffs” who brought the action (Chartrand and Chartier); and the “Defendants” (Dumont,

Poitras, Doucette, Belcourt and the Metis National Council). At the insistence of Presidents

Dumont, Poitras, Doucette and Belcourt the Agreement included fixing the delegate list for the

next General Assembly so as to avoid the issue that was used by Chartrand to disrupt the last

General Assembly. It must also be noted and clearly understood that this Agreement was reached

in discussion between the Parties themselves without involvement of anyone else including

another potential delegates from Alberta and Manitoba who are not named on the Delegate list.

While Presidents Dumont, Poitras, Doucette and Belcourt all reiterated that they are very

pleased that their out-of-court settlement both preserved the principle of Metis Self Governance

and allows the MNC Assembly to proceed with certainty, not all issues were dealt with by the

Agreement. Three key issues remain before the court and are not part of the Settlement

Agreement. There is no agreement to reinstate Clem Chartier as MNC President. Still to be dealt

with by the courts are the issue of costs and damages. Court costs to date for both parties are in

excess of an estimated $350,000. Chartier and Chartrand are claiming their costs against the

defendants, including the MNC. Also outstanding is the claim of $300,000 in damages by Clem

Chartier against the defendants.

The full text of the Settlement Agreement as given effect through the “Consent Order”,

which was by the consent of all Parties, and includes the agenda and list of delegates to the MNC

AGA., is available on the following websites:

Metis Nation of British Columbia

http://www.mnbc.ca/

Metis Nation of Alberta

http://www.metis.org/MNAHome/Home.aspx

Metis Nation of Saskatchewan

http://metna.sasktelwebhosting.com/

Metis Nation of Ontario

www.metisnation.org

For further information contact:

Bruce Dumont MNBC…….604-219-0157

Audrey Poitras MNA …….780-490-8188

Robert Doucette MN-S……306-343-8285

Tony Belcourt MNO………613-798-1488 or 613-859-7130 (cell)