Government of Manitoba to return Ste. Madeleine land to the MMF, ending a multi-generational wait for justice

July 19, 2024

Winnipeg, MB, in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis - Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, along with the Government of Manitoba, signed a memorandum of understanding that will, among other things, commence negotiations to immediately transfer approximately 100 acres of Manitoba Crown Land to the MMF, where the Red River Métis community of Ste. Madeleine once stood.

The MOU was signed by MMF President David Chartrand and Manitoba's Premier Wab Kinew at the site where the town once existed, kicking off the annual Ste. Madeleine Métis Days with fanfare, pyrotechnics and cheers.

"You can clearly see how important Ste. Madeleine is to our Nation," said David Chartrand, President of the MMF. "The emotions were running high when we signed the MOU - you could see everywhere across the audience the sadness, the joy, the pride and the hurt all being experienced at the same time, thinking about the tragedy and horror that took place here between 1939 and 1941. We waited a very long time for this moment, and there's not a doubt in my mind that we will always remember this as the day we finally saw justice for the people of Ste. Madeleine."

Located in what's called the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth today, Ste. Madeleine was settled by hundreds of Red River Métis Citizens and families in the late 1800s and early 1900s, following the reign of terror that happened in the heart of the Homeland, which is now Winnipeg.

"Our people ventured away to find safety and protection for their families, so they could find a way to raise their families and give them hope and a chance for the future," said President Chartrand, "They did this only to find that the reign of terror followed them across the prairies, all the way into what is now known as Saskatchewan. I ask everyone to imagine for a second how you would feel if this happened to your family. Your community, which you believed in and loved so much, living surrounded by family and friends, was suddenly gone because the cows were more valuable than you. You may not believe this could happen, but it happened less than a hundred years ago."

While the Ste. Madeleine families were away for the summer, earning a living harvesting from the land or working for local farmers, their homes were burned. Families, some with 10 or more children, came home from their summer's labour to find ashes where there had once been homes and a community. Winter clothing, household supplies, schoolbooks and foodstuffs were burned. Family dogs were shot. Oral tradition suggests that Ste. Madeleine's church was dismantled and used to build a pig barn in St. Lazare. The only remaining landmark today is the Ste. Madeleine cemetery, which is visited annually by thousands upon thousands of Red River Métis Citizens during Ste. Madeleine Métis Days, as part of a festival dedicated to bringing music, culture and kinship back to the site. Even though our people were chased off our land and had their houses burned, families continued to bury their loved ones in the cemetery, and still do today.

"Less than a hundred years ago, 250 Métis people were driven out of their community of Ste. Madeleine when their homes were burned. Today is a step towards righting that historic wrong," said Premier Kinew. "The Manitoba Métis Federation has long called for the return of this land, and we're beginning a nation-to-nation collaboration that will establish a process to transfer land that was unjustly taken back to Red River Métis citizens."

"This is not just about returning land, or preserving the graves of our Ste. Madeleine relatives, it's about righting this historic wrong and signalling to all Manitobans and Canadians that the Red River Métis will no longer be treated as less important than cattle," said President Chartrand. "While there are critical steps left to finalize this transfer, I thank the Government of Manitoba for their partnership in moving us forward on this important negotiation, after decades of advocacy by our leadership. This transfer represents a measure of peace for the descendants of Ste. Madeleine, though there's no doubt it will touch all Red River Métis Citizens, easing a heartache that has existed at the core of our Nation for generations."

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For more information, media may contact:
Kat Patenaude
Media Relations Advisor
Manitoba Métis Federation
204-801-7710
Kat.Patenaude@mmf.mb.ca

Believe in Yourself; Believe in Métis.

The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) is the democratically elected National Government of the Red River Métis, also known as the Manitoba Métis. The Red River Métis are a distinct Indigenous Nation and People and Canada's Negotiating Partners in Confederation and the Founders of the Province of Manitoba.

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