September 19, 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Powley case. This year we are celebrating with the release of a powerful new Métis rights documentary.
The Métis Hunt for Justice: the Powley Story tells the story of the profound struggle of Ontario Métis against marginalization and the denial of our very existence, and the immense impact of the Powley case.
On September 19, 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down its unanimous decision in R. v. Powley. It recognized the Sault Ste. Marie Métis community located in the Upper Great Lakes region of north central Ontario and affirmed that this Métis community holds Métis rights protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Powley case was-and remains-the only high court decision that has confirmed the existence of a rights-bearing Métis community in Canada. This defining moment in Métis history established an important legal precedent in modern Indigenous law.
Featuring archival footage and interviews with Métis citizens from Sault Ste. Marie, plus new research and commentary by trial judges, current leaders, and others involved in the case - this is the definitive account of the Powley case and what it has meant for Métis in Ontario.