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Ruth Bonneville / Free Press BIZ - MMF and Babcock Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) President David Chartrand, answers questions from reporters regarding National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak’s remarks Thursday. Story: National Chief's Remarks: AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told reporters that many people claiming to be Métis may actually have First Nations roots or are "pretendians" who cannot trace themselves back to a First Nation, stating that First Nations and Inuit are the original distinct groups. President Chartrand issued a sharp rebuke, calling the remarks prejudiced, inaccurate, and an attempt to score cheap political points. He emphasized that the Red River Métis are a distinct Indigenous nation, founders of Manitoba, Canada's partners in Confederation, and constitutionally protected under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 Oct 29th, 2026