Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
politician and office-holder. In 1993, he became the first member of Manitoba's
Métis
The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
. He was born in
St. Laurent, Manitoba
St. Laurent (French: ''Saint-Laurent'') is a community on the eastern shore of Lake Manitoba. It lies within the boundaries of the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent, from Winnipeg. A historically-Métis settlement, St. Laurent is one of the ...
.
He became involved in the
Manitoba Metis Federation The Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) a federally recognized Métis organization provincially incorporated in Manitoba, Canada, on 28 December 1967. Its current president is David Chartrand. In September of 2021, the MMF withdrew from the Métis Natio ...
in 1967, and became its Director for the
Interlake
Interlake was a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 1979, and has formally existed since the 1981 provincial election. Previously, much of the Interlake region was include ...
region in 1972. He was chosen Executive Vice-President of the Federation in 1973, and served as its President from 1984 to 1993.
Dumont was also a founding member of the
Native Council of Canada
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) (formerly the Native Council of Canada and briefly the Indigenous Peoples Assembly of Canada), founded in 1971, is a national Canadian aboriginal organization, that represents Aboriginal peoples ( Non-Sta ...
in 1972, and served as President of the
Métis National Council
The Métis National Council (french: Ralliement national des Métis) is the representative body of the Métis people of northwestern Canada. The MNC represents the Métis Nation both nationally and internationally, receiving direction from the el ...
from 1988 to 1993. He has participated as a representative of the MMF at Canadian
First Ministers' conference
In Canada, a First Ministers' conference is a meeting of the provincial and territorial premiers and the Prime Minister. These events are held at the call of the prime minister. They are usually held in Ottawa.
Though known as "First Ministers ...
, and has been actively involved in constitutional debates concerning First Nations and Métis peoples. Dumont has rejected the integration of Métis services into larger Indigenous institutions, expressing concern that Métis distinctiveness could be lost.
Dumont has also been a municipal councillor in St. Laurent, and was on the Board of Governors for the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Manitoba Metis Federation Award in 1993, and a
National Aboriginal Achievement Award
The Indspire Awards, until 2012 the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, are annual awards presented by Indspire in Canada. The awards are intended to celebrate and encourage excellence in the Aboriginal community.
About
The awards were fir ...
, now the Indspire Awards, in 1996.
Dumont's appointment as Lt. Governor of Manitoba coincided with a national reappraisal of Métis leader
Louis Riel
Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...
's role in the province's creation. Once regarded as a rebel and an outlaw, Riel has in recent years been accepted as a
Father of Confederation
The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...
for his role in establishing a provisional government in the
Red River Colony
The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assiniboia, Assinboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hud ...
. The appointment of Dumont as Lt. Governor undoubtedly reflected this changed perspective.
The position of Lt. Governor is largely ceremonial, and Dumont had very little influence over the Progressive Conservative government of
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th premier of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999.
Political care ...
.
Dumont was appointed to the
Order of Manitoba
The Order of Manitoba (french: Ordre du Manitoba) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter Liba granted Royal Assent to The Order of Manitoba Act, the order is administe ...
in 2001. He ran again for the leadership of the MMF in 2003, but was defeated by
David Chartrand
David N. Chartrand, (January 23, 1960) is a Métis politician and activist who has served as the democratically elected President of the Manitoba Métis Federation since 1997. He is the longest serving President of the Manitoba Métis Federatio ...