Prince George, B.C.-  The Province of BC will be reviewing the Supreme Court ruling  of the past week, which  upheld a lower court  decision  declaring Metis and non status Indians as  “Indians”  under the 1967 Constitution.

That ruling  makes the Federal Government responsible  for  Metis and Non- Status  Indians meaning they  should be  afforded  the same services and programs  available to those already covered.

B.C.’s Minister of Aboriginal relations and reconciliation, John Rustad,  says the ruling won’t have any  impact on  treaty negotiations “We have a very good  relationship  already with the Metis Nation,  we signed an accord with them  in 2006 so I  suspect this will strengthen our opportunities  to work positively with the Metis.”

“We internally need to review the decision  and the components of the decision” says Rustad “but I do suspect there will be a significant federal role that will be  required.  We look forward to engaging  with the Metis, and carrying on with the   relationship  when the Federal Government comes out with how they will change  or react after this decision.”

Rustad says B.C.’s already taken  what he calls “tremendous steps” in recognizing  and working with the Metis, “So this ( decision)  requires a little bit of catch up from the Federal Government,  but we’ll have to wait and see what  they’ll do.  But we’re going to carry on with the work  we are  doing with the Metis,  whether its through  an Office of Aboriginal Action  Plan, whether  it’s through the MOU we signed  with  them and the other leadership Council  members about ending violence,  There’s a wide range  of things  we are already engaged with them, so  we’ll carry on  that relationship and work but also look forward to being able to do more.”