Protesters Occupy Provincial Premier's Office
A handful of protesters occupied Premier Gary Doer's office for about three hours yesterday (October 23rd) afternoon, demanding a meeting and about 1.4 million acres of land.
The group, Red River Half Breed Association, wants the government to honour an 1870 treaty which granted the land to "half-breeds" and their families.
Kenny Morin, representing the group, said the government handed over only a fraction of the land.
Morin said he and others were promised a meeting some time ago, but nothing materialized. After asking again, the group decided to hold a sit-in.
Morin said they'd be back this afternoon (Oct 24) in the hopes a meeting will at least be scheduled.
Members of the group have also set up tents in a park across from the legislature on Memorial Boulevard, and have been joined by other protesters.
Morin said the 1.4 million acres includes land the legislature is sitting on.
(Winnipeg Free Press, October 24, 2000)
What happened after? Here's the story from the Free Press a couple of days later(October 26th)...
Metis Protesters to meet with housing minister
After spending two weeks camped across from the legislature and three hours in a sit-in at the premier's office, a group of Metis protesters has been granted a meeting with Housing Minister Tim Sale on Friday, October 27.
But protesters say they won't vacate their prime camping spot just yet.
"It's going to depend on the outcome of the meeting," said Kenny Morin, representing a small group called Red River Half Breed Association.
About 20 Metis and aboriginal protesters camp each night in a park bordered by Memorial Boulevard and Broadway, directly across from the Legislature.
They've been living in the spot for about two weeks, protesting urban housing conditions and what they say is a broken agreement dating from 1870.
They say the deal granted "half-breeds" and their families 1.4 million acres, including land the Legislature sits on.
(Winnipeg Free Press, October 26, 2000)
So...what was the outcome of the meeting with said Housing Minister?
At the conclusion of the meeting, some members of the group, who were homeless, had finally received private housing in Winnipeg through the Manitoba Housing Project. This is a beginning for the Red River Half Breed Association to venture forward about our land entitlements under Section 31 of the Manitoba Act (1870).At this point we are still waiting on our land entitlements. A decided Court decision is yet to be made
