OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government's relationship with the Metis Nation is a tangible and concrete example of what reconciliation can be.
At a meeting known as the Crown-Metis Nation Summit, Trudeau said reconciliation efforts will span generations but said the government has come a long way in working with the Metis Nation on long-standing challenges including housing.
Metis National Council president Clement Chartier said reconciliation is a term that some people might use as loosely as any other buzzword.
But Chartier says the Metis Nation has "witnessed reconciliation in action" with cabinet ministers who have been dedicated to working together on the path forward.
Chartier says that when he first met Trudeau, he tried to impress upon him it was critical to address the challenges facing Indigenous Peoples with respect for the unique needs of Metis, First Nations, and Inuit.
He says this approach has shown results and presented Trudeau with the Order of the Metis Nation — the highest award it has for people who have made a significant contribution to the Metis.