Sou'West Nova Métis By-Laws

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS OF SWNM

TO APPLY FOR A NEW MEMBERSHIP:

Get your genealogy certified first (see Genealogy page)

1) To receive your application form, send the appropriate fees to SWNM:

a) $100 – defense fund contribution – one time fee (separate cheque or money order please, made out to Sou’West Nova Métis Defense Fund)

b) $40 – genealogy fee (only if you need your genealogy verified (see Genealogy page) – make cheque or money order payable to Debra Hill)

c) $30 – annual membership dues ($20) and card processing fees ($10)(make cheque or money order payable to Sou’West Nova Metis Council)

Cheques and money orders must be in Canadian dollars. Due to the exchange rate, cheques and money orders in U.S. dollars come up short when converting to Canadian dollars.

Please Note: Current members should pay their $20 annual dues anytime before the coming year.

2) Attach two photocopies of your long-form birth certificate or baptismal certificate.

3) Attach four recent colour photos (1” x 1.25” – the size of a driver’s license – Passport photos will not be accepted as they are too big)

4) Attach one copy of your full genealogy that has been certified by a Genealogical Records Searcher (GRS) or a Certified Genealogist (CG). See Genealogy page.

Once you send us the appropriate papers and fees, we then send your application form.

Sorry, we don’t accept credit cards.

Please note: To apply for membership you must be at least 16 years of age.

TO APPLY FOR A CARD RENEWAL:

Existing SWNM cards are valid until December 2010. When card renewals are required, this will be the process.

1) Send four recent small colour photos (1” x 1.25” – the size of a driver’s license)

2) If you have outstanding dues, you must pay them plus $10 for the new card before it can be sent. If you are a member in good standing your new card will be free.

3) If you have lost your new card you will have to pay $5 for a replacement.

Here is a blank genealogy form for working on your genealogy.

Membership is open to all Métis individuals from any province or state. A Métis person is:

• a person of mixed Native-American and non-Native-American heritage;

• a person who self-identifies as Métis; and

• accepted by a Métis community as being Métis

All three criteria must be met as well as providing proof of Native-American heritage upon applying for membership. There is NO blood quantum requirement. We do not see ourselves as simply being a percentage of our Native-American heritage, but as being 100% Métis and nothing else.

Our members come from all walks of life and heritage. Most are indigenous Métis of Mi'kmaw and Wampanoag heritage. Others are western Métis whose heritage may be Cree, Ojibwa, Blackfoot, Sioux, Cherokee, or others. Our commonalities are our inability to walk comfortably in the everyday worlds of either side of our heritage, and our wish to simply be who we are - Métis.

What is the Certificate of Aboriginal Status that is issued by the Sou'West Nova Métis Council?

First and foremost, it is a membership card signifying that you are a Sou'West Nova Métis.

It is an identification card - signifying that you are a person of aboriginal ancestry and recognized under the Canada Constitution Act, 1982 as such and therefore have all the rights, opportunities, and privileges accorded to aboriginal people. This card system is similar to the way Status Indians are registered with the Government of Canada through the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and receive a "Certificate of Indian Status" card with an identification number. This card is used as an identification card for purposes such as:

• Harvesting rights (hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering) - (under negotiation)

• Employment (some employers ask for proof of aboriginal ancestry to qualify for employment equity programs)

• Education (some institutions ask for proof of aboriginal ancestry to qualify for aboriginal-specific bursaries, scholarships, and programs

• Procurement (a portion of government services contracts are reserved for aboriginal people and companies and require proof of aboriginal ancestry)