On September 19, M茅tis communities throughout the provinces and territories celebrate the recognition of M茅tis rights, known as Powley Day. M茅tis rights, although protected under Section 35 of the Constitutional Act, 1982, remained largely unrecognized until September 19, 2003, when the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously affirmed the existence and protection of M茅tis rights in R. v. Powley.
On October 22, 1993, Steve and Roddy Powley killed a bull moose near Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Although the Powley’s tagged their catch with their M茅tis card, Conservation Officers they were later charged them by Conservation Officers for hunting moose without a license and unlawful possession of moose contrary to Ontario’s Game and Fish Act (M茅tis Nation of Ontario).
The convictionis prompted a decade- long legal battle for Steve and Roddy Powley against the Crown who was seeking to appeal the initial ruling of the trial judge who ruled that the Powley’s had M茅tis rights to hunt that were protected by the Constitution. Finally, on September 19, 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down a judgment declaring that the Powley’s as M茅tis had rights to hunt under s.35.
The 吃瓜黑料网 celebrates this landmark decision and the recognition of M茅tis rights.
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For more information, visit the Urban Indigenous Education Centre website.