The vice-president of the Waceya Metis Society is publicly questioning Liberal candidate Madison Fleischer’s claimed Metis identity.
Callum Robinson, VP for Waceya, whose office is located in Cloverdale, issued a statement on waceya.ca that said the society was “disappointed” Fleischer was unable to “provide any evidence to substantiate her Metis heritage.”
Fleischer is running as the Liberal Party candidate in the upcoming byelection for the riding of Cloverdale-Langley City. Fleischer has identified, publicly, as Metis.
According to the statement, at a meeting held Nov. 23, Fleischer “was unable to substantiate her claims with any documentation or historical connections to Metis communities.”
Robinson told Black Press Media, “there were many inconsistencies in her story.”
These included: “claimed correspondence with our president, which didn't exist; and “stated her great-grandmother from North Dakota as proof of Metis heritage.”
He said the society is "distancing" itself from her claims of Metis identity.
“We ask that (Fleischer) take the necessary steps to properly research and verify her Indigenous heritage before making any further public assertions," the statement continues.
"The integrity of Metis identity is not to be taken lightly, especially in public office, where the representation of our community must be accurate, respectful, and legitimate.”
In an emailed statement to Black Press Media, Fleischer said she self-identifies as Metis because of what she knows about her great-grandmother’s heritage.
“I am currently collecting the necessary documentation to go through the application process to receive Metis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) citizenship,” she wrote.
“I have always been vocal about not yet holding MNBC citizenship, and I removed Metis from my social media bios to ensure there was no confusion in my identification.”
