Métis Nation of Saskatchewan shuts its doors in Saskatoon
The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan is shutting its headquarters in Saskatoon and laying off its last three staff members.
It has run out of money, still mired in an internal dispute over governance.
The organization has only held one legislative assembly in the past two years, instead of the two per year it's required to hold.
Federal funding has been frozen since October 2014 over the issue.
Brian Favel was the harvesting co-ordinator. It was his job to help ensure that Métis people could exercise their right to hunt for food.
Ancestry records at the Métis Nation office are used to allow individuals to exercise their rights as Métis people.
"People who are getting charged have nowhere to turn at this time," Favel said. "So basically I don't know what they're going to do, where they're going to phone. You know it's basically through the local presidents now that they have to work."
To Darryl Giebelhaus, who worked in information technology, seeing the MNS headquarters shuttered felt like a funeral.
"My feeling is, when the doors close I'm not sure how many years it will take to get it going again, if ever. I don't know," Giebelhaus said. "I would like to think that they could get their funding sorted out somehow, someday. But right now it's not looking that good."
He said the impact of the closure will be "enormous," affecting programs in sports, health and housing that together serve thousands of people.
Meanwhile, a battle to force a legislative assembly as soon as possible is still before the courts.
For his part, Giebelhaus is leaving Saskatoon, having found another job north of the city.
Favel is still absorbing the shock of being thrown out of work. He's scrambling to pay his bills, and is searching for another job.
