Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - July 21, 2024 - A historic agreement was signed at the site where the Manitoba Métis community of Ste. Madeleine stood before being burned to the ground in the 1930s by the government.

The signing will commence negotiations to transfer approximately 100 acres of Manitoba Crown land to the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF). The province will also consult with First Nations and stakeholders in Treaty 4 and the surrounding areas as part of the process.

Ste. Madeleine was settled by Métis homesteaders who left Manitoba in 1870, fleeing abuse, violence, and discrimination after the Red River Resistance. Between 1915 and 1935, the community grew to about 250 people.

The federal government established the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration in 1935 to address environmental and economic crises following years of drought and poor farming practices. Ste. Madeleine was selected for the pasture program in Manitoba.

The signing was part of the opening events for the annual Ste. Madeleine Métis Days, held as a time for reflection and celebration of the Métis people and their culture.

About 4,000 Manitoba Métis Federation citizens vote yes on modern treaty with the Crown. Chartrand called it a proud day to be Métis and to show the Red River government that they don't back away.