Metis Governance Project - Support the Future Today

Governance is as much about skills as it is about tradition. A good example of this is the British Foreign Office. For centuries the British Government has put a great deal of effort into creating and maintaining its ability to operate on the international stage. The poet Milton who was writing in the 18th century was a diplomat. His work is part of a tradition that stretches to the present day, allowing the British to ‘punch above its weight’ in international affairs. For just this reason Britain has been a permanent member of the UN Security Council, despite its relatively small economy.

The Metis government is still young so therefore a strategy to create a working governance structure must be seen as a long term project, not a short term one. The skills to run a government are not just learned by one generation. Rather a tradition of governance must be created. Our children will be the ones to make the Metis Government project a reality, our role therefore is to create the circumstances that encourage that state of affairs. When we try to create our government all in one go we prevent our children from creating the government structure that they feel appropriate. We cut ourselves off from the wisdom of the next generation. Essentially, today’s youth is the day after tomorrow’s elders. It is their wisdom that we must nurture and find a way to draw upon.

For example today the Metis need, among other skills, good financial advice. We need accountants to organize and run our national finances. If we can find accountants among our ranks to fill that role then that is eminently desirable. If, however, we can not, then to simply place the next best qualified Metis in that position is to betray the next generation. Finance is not simply a matter of common sense. It is a skill that has, as part of its tool set, a set of complex ethics that are completely specific to that skill. Only those who are qualified have that important training. In order to create a strong Metis nation we must find people who are qualified to fill that position that are not Metis, but who are sympathetic to our cherished ideals and identity. Simultaneously we must labor ever more strongly to provide opportunities for our youth to gain the skills in that area.

If we were looking to find someone to provide comprehensive medical services to our nation we would firstly look for suitably qualified Metis to fill that role, a Doctor trained and experienced with the skills and ethical knowledge necessary to do the job. If no such Metis existed we would be foolish in the extreme to simply place the next best qualified Metis in that job. A Metis paramedic is surely a fine paramedic, but they are not a Doctor. Instead we would find a Doctor who was not Metis and then put effort into training a Metis doctor for the next generation.

This principle applies across all the skills we need to create a strong Metis nation. From environmental issues to medical issues to financial issues it is not just about creating a Metis government for the current generation. It is the future that we must provide for. As Louis Riel said “A century is but a spoke on the wheel of time”. It is high time that we remember the wisdom of our forebears so that we can ensure that the wisdom of our children can be heard through the centuries to come. It is imperative that resources are directed to our youth, that support is given our youth and that when our youth are trained they are welcome into the Nation as employees, advisors and leaders.