The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples leader says he has been snubbed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Dwight Dorey, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) national chief, told SooToday Thursday he was not allowed to attend the climate change meetings Trudeau held with the Premiers, First Nations, Metis and Inuit leaders in early March in Vancouver.
That came despite a written assurance from the Prime Minister that he would be maintaining a good working relationship with all indigenous groups in Canada.
Trudeau's letter to Dorey, dated February 19, 2016, reads "I have received your letter of February 10, 2016, regarding the upcoming meeting between the Premiers, myself, First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Vancouver."
"I wish to reassure you that I remain as committed as ever in engaging in a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship based on recognition, rights, respect, cooperation and partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit.
"In the meeting of last December I committed to working and meeting regularly with the national aboriginal organizations and our government will continue to engage in robust discussions with all five national aboriginal organizations, including the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples."
Trudeau's signature is at the bottom of the letter.
"It's historically been the case, ever since the repatriation of the Constitution in 1982, and for a five-year period back in the 1980s, that we had a specific First Ministers process with indigenous leaders to talk about our rights…we were involved, we were at the table," Dorey said.
"All of a sudden, Mr. Trudeau decides to change that format and hold this First Minsters' meeting in Vancouver on climate change and not invite the Congress or the Native Women's Association of Canada."
"That's a real concern," Dorey said, speaking to SooToday Thursday after a meeting with off-reserve indigenous citizens at the Indian Friendship Centre.
Dorey said he has not received a clear explanation on the matter.
Dorey and other CAP representatives are currently on their third national grassroots engagement tour.
"I went there (to Vancouver) with the intention of being part of it and was denied access…this is basically discrimination."
Dorey said he will be meeting next week with Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, and will be discussing the matter further.
Dorey said he expects to be invited to a First Ministers' meeting, dedicated solely to indigenous affairs, which will likely be held in the fall.
The Ottawa-based Congress of Aboriginal Peoples speaks out for the rights and concerns of status and non-status Indians, Metis and Southern Inuit of Labrador living off-reserve in urban, rural, remote and isolated areas of Canada.
Out of 1.4 million aboriginal people in Canada, 1,075,000 live off-reserve, according to the Statistics Canada 2011 National Household Survey.
That off-reserve figure includes Metis, status and non-status Indians, Inuit, and people with multiple or other aboriginal identities.
"In several of the other sessions (on the current Congress of Aboriginal Peoples national grassroots engagement tour), the people have come to us with real dire situations and breaking down in tears, they don't have a place to live, they can't find work to support their families, they're facing discrimination, it's a wide range of things," Dorey said.
"I'm getting out there to introduce the Congress to these people…we don't want this situation to continue and grow."
The Federal Court of Canada ruled in January 2013 that Metis and non-status are Indians under subsection 91(24) of the Constitution Act of 1867, something which CAP had fought for since its inception as a group in 1971, thereby granting recognition to 600,000 indigenous people in Canada.
Dorey said he is now hoping for the Supreme Court to rule that the federal government owes them a fiduciary duty as it does for Indians on reserves, as well as the right to be consulted and negotiated with on matters directly concerning them.