听Linda Sopp is a mild-mannered, soft-spoken member of the M茅tis nation but one should not misinterpret those two facts. She is also a very determined personality who has found herself in a position to perhaps make a difference in the lives of those claiming M茅tis heritage.
Sopp was elected president of the M茅tis Federation of Canada, Estevan and Area Branch in June during a regular monthly meeting of the local M茅tis council.听
The election, the first one in Saskatchewan, it seems, following the disassembling of the provincial organization a couple of years ago, has the blessings and confirmation from Robert Pilon, president of the M茅tis Federation of Canada, and the national office in Ontario.听
The M茅tis organizations in Saskatchewan, have been denied funding and grant opportunities since August of 2014, she said, due mainly to provincial disputes over leadership and accountability.听
鈥淎lberta is getting back into the federal fold, and, as yet, we don鈥檛 have a presence as a provincial body,鈥� said Sopp.听
If called upon, she said she would be willing to step into a provincial leadership role, so that programs directed toward status M茅tis could be re-established.听
鈥淥ur group has decided to get the Saskatchewan council back on track and we have applied through Mr. Pilon and the national federation,鈥� she said. In the meantime, she has made several attempts to make contact with former leaders of Saskatchewan鈥檚 main council and admits 鈥渋t鈥檚 difficult to get everyone on board.鈥� That is why she has taken the path of seeking affirmation from the national president and council.听
鈥淎s of now, our Saskatchewan M茅tis cards are invalid and that鈥檚 a shame,鈥� she said.听
The local M茅tis group has been holding monthly meetings since May with the next one slated for Nov. 30 at the Salvation Army on Fourth Street beginning at 7 p.m.听
She said active membership in the local society is between 25 and 30 people with several more inactive but potential members she hoped would return with the knowledge that the local group has been revived and energized.听
Aaron Klyne was elected vice-president at the June meeting and Shannon Leibel and Rhonda Dzuba were selected as secretary and treasurer, respectively.听
鈥淲e need to get the provincial M茅tis organized again and start to work for all the people, not the individuals,鈥� she said.听
She suggested all regions should be able to get aboard on a common front by working through the national body which, she says, has been inundated with applications for just that purpose following clarification from the Supreme Court of Canada in April that provides a clear definition of M茅tis as non-status Indians with the same rights. Memberships are gained through long-form birth certificates and will restore lost rights such as fishing and gaming rights and identification cards that provide status throughout North America.听
Sopp said she served as president of the local group in the past, and they seemed to suffer from a lack of traction that can now be realized, thanks to assistance on the genealogy fronts and the clarity provided by the court decision.听
鈥淚 would guess that as much as 60 per cent of our population could probably claim some M茅tis 鈥� First Nations status if we looked back. My connection, I only had to go back three generations to the Red River, which has a lot of M茅tis descendents attached to it. Some can go back six generations鈥澨�
Sopp said getting Saskatchewan back into the fold as a non-profit formally recognized M茅tis entity, should be a priority and if it would help make it happen, she would take a run at the presidency.听
鈥淲e need to get moving on plans, that are not self serving. We need to assist elders with their medical needs and students who need education on drug and alcohol abuse issues and to get serious about their formal education. If we return to our proper status, there could be educational grants available for promising M茅tis academics,鈥� she said.鈥漌e don鈥檛 need to see our youth falling and failing.鈥澨�
Sopp said through her drive to connect with other M茅tis nations, she has found herself communicating with like-minded leaders from as far away as Nova Scotia and Texas.听
鈥淭here is interest in what we are trying to do from right here,鈥� she said, referring to her home city of Estevan.
But whether the formal recognition is near at hand, or somewhere down the road, Sopp said the local group is not waiting around, hoping for something to happen.听
鈥淲e are planning a local fundraising event after Christmas that will include a silent auction. We are seeking artistic works with First Nations and M茅tis themes as part of the donations. We鈥檒l set the date for sometime between mid-January and early February,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his time, we are moving forward with a purpose. Getting the M茅tis message and influence out into the community is at the heart of it.鈥澨�
The local group can be contacted on social media through their Facebook page: M茅tis Federation of Canada, Estevan and Area Branch.
