C-21 An Act to Give Effect to the Red River Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Treaty and to Make Consequential Amendments to Other Acts
Short Title: Red River Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Treaty Act
Bill Type: House Government Bill
Bill Sponsor: Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
What This Bill Does
This Bill gives the force of Canadian Law to a Self-Government Treaty signed with the Red River Métis — the Manitoba Métis Federation — on November 30, 2024. Until this Bill passes, the Treaty is just an Agreement on paper with no legal force.
Where the Treaty and any federal law conflict, the Treaty wins.
Once passed, it recognizes the Red River Métis as a self-governing nation under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and gives their Laws legal standing in Canadian courts. Where the Treaty and any federal law conflict, the Treaty wins — and once that hierarchy is established, future Parliaments cannot easily undo it without breaching constitutional obligations.
WHO GAINS POWER
- The Manitoba Métis Federation gains recognized self-government authority — their laws have legal force and courts must take judicial notice of them
- The Treaty prevails over all federal law in the event of conflict — including future Acts of Parliament
- The MMF gains authority to make administrative decisions reviewable only after all internal MMF appeal processes are exhausted
- Governor in Council gains authority to make regulations to implement the Treaty — but must give the MMF meaningful input in that process
WHO LOSES POWER
- Parliament — the Treaty supersedes federal law; future Parliaments cannot easily override it without breaching constitutional obligations
- Canadians seeking to challenge MMF administrative decisions must exhaust all MMF internal processes before accessing Federal Court
- Federal departments — Access to Information and Privacy Act protections now extend to MMF, limiting what information can be disclosed about MMF operations
WHO GAINS MONEY
- A separate tax treatment agreement (not part of the Treaty itself) governs the fiscal relationship — details are in that agreement, not this Bill
- The MMF gains institutional standing that supports future funding negotiations and program delivery
WHO LOSES MONEY
- No direct spending authorized in this Bill — funding flows through the tax treatment agreement and future appropriations
THE CATCH
- The Treaty prevails over all federal law — including Laws passed after this Bill — creating a constitutional hierarchy that limits future Parliamentary flexibility
- Red River Métis Laws are not subject to the Statutory Instruments Act — meaning they don't go through standard federal regulatory review or publication requirements
- Actions taken by the MMF before the Treaty came into force are retroactively deemed valid — Parliament is ratifying decisions it never reviewed
A coordinating Amendment links this Bill to Bill C-10 (Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act) — if C-10 passes, the Red River Métis are automatically added to its schedule without a separate vote
Source: Bill C-21 — Red River Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Treaty Act First Reading: February 12, 2026