full-colour, insert in the Grassroots News Aboriginal newspaper, with a distribution of approximately 40,000 throughout the Province of Manitoba. In September of 2021, following a 2019 mandate from Citizens at an Annual General Assembly, Chartrand led the Manitoba Métis Federation to withdraw from the Métis National Council over concerns that the Council was allowing the distortion of the accepted definition of Métis by member organizations. In 2022 the Metis National Council filed a lawsuit against its former president and the Manitoba Metis Federation alleging financial malfeasance, irregularities and questionable contracts. The lawsuit alleges Chartrand and former leadership made deals to financially benefit themselves. The national council is seeking $15 million in damages. Chartrand denies the allegations. Legal contributions to the recognition of Métis rights As President, Chartrand championed Red River Métis Land Claims, and made significant contributions to the harvesting rights won in Ontario through the R. v. Powley case. One of his first acts upon election was the reinstatement of the Red River Métis Land Claims case. Because of his dedication to the pursuit of Red River Métis rights, the Manitoba Métis Federation won the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) v. Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada recognized that the claim of the Manitoba Métis Community was "not a series of claims for individual relief" but a "collective claim for declaratory relief for the purposes of reconciliation between the descendants of the Métis people of the Red River Valley and Canada" and went on to grant the MMF standing by concluding "[t]his collective claim merits allowing the body representing the collective Métis interest to come before the court". The decision further held that "[t]he unfinished business of reconciliation of the Métis people with Canadian sovereignty is a matter of national and constitutional import" and issued a declaration "[t]hat the federal Crown failed to implement the land grant provision set out in section 31 of the Manitoba Act, 1870 in accordance with the honour of the Crown". This opened the door to subsequent Supreme Court decisions like the 2016 Daniels case that recognized the Métis Nation as section rights holders under the Canadian Constitution. On May 27, 2016 a Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Reconciliation was signed by the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Government of Canada, to foster engagement in an exploratory discussions process to develop a mutually agreeable Framework Agreement. In 2021, the Manitoba