Alberta's Metis Consultation Framework

On April 4, 2016, the Government of Alberta ("GoA") released The Government of Alberta's Policy on Consultation with Metis Settlements on Land and Natural Resource Management, 2015 (the "Policy") as well as The Government of Alberta's Guidelines on Consultation with Metis Settlements on Land and Natural Resource Management, 2016 (the "Guidelines"). Additional information on the Policy and the Guidelines including the text of each can be found here.

The modest aim of this post is to outline some of the key features of the Policy and Guidelines as they relate to energy project proponents.

Alberta Metis Settlements

The term "Metis" refers to people of mixed European and indigenous heritage who developed their own customs, way of life, and recognizable group identity separate from their settler or indigenous ancestors. Metis people are expressly included within the definition of "aboriginal peoples of Canada" in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.