Now it's Fake Metis Gov't Ministers
Environment Minister Kevin Klein's claim to be Métis denounced by brother, Manitoba Métis Federation
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Premier Heather Stefanson said Klein is 1 of 2 Indigenous members of her caucus
Joanne Levasseur · CBC News · Posted: Jul 31, 2023 4:00 AM PDT | Last Updated: 10 hours ago
Kevin Klein calls his claim to being Métis a private and personal journey, but the news release issued when he became environment minister and his official government web page state: 'Klein is a proud Métis Canadian.' (Warren Kay/CBC)
The Manitoba government's website continues to identify Environment Minister Kevin Klein as Métis, even though the president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, a prominent Métis lawyer and Klein's own brother all dispute the claim.
"The basis for stating Mr. Klein as Indigenous is because he has publicly identified himself as a Canadian Métis," a spokesperson for Premier Heather Stefanson wrote in January.
Klein says he belongs to the Painted Feather Woodland Métis. The entity is not recognized by the Manitoba Métis Federation or the Métis Nation of Ontario. It's a for-profit company based out of a single-family residence near Bancroft, Ont., just over 250 kilometres northeast of Toronto.
Klein says he claims to be Métis as a connection to his late mother, whom he has publicly identified as Indigenous.
"I'm not self-identifying, nor am I using it, nor am I mentioning it every time I open my mouth. It is a family issue for me and a connection to my mother," Klein said in an interview during his run for mayor last fall.
Kevin Klein's Instagram post for Red Dress Day 2022
11 hours ago
Duration0:38
Kevin Klein said 'my mother was murdered by her partner and she was Indigenous' in front of an installation of red dresses at Winnipeg City Hall on May 5, 2022. Red Dress Day is also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Contacted by CBC News, Klein's brother, Christopher Rout, said he does not consider himself, his brother or his mother Métis.
"I remember learning about Métis in school. I think I would have learned something then and been told something, but no. No, we're not Métis," Rout said in an interview with CBC News. He would seek Métis citizenship if he were eligible, he said.
Rout is Klein's younger brother and although they have the same parents, their surnames are different. Klein officially changed his name from Harold Kevin Rout Jr. to Kevin Elvis Klein sometime before his second marriage in 1994, according to the marriage certificate.
Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand told CBC after a request for comment that he disputes Klein's claim to be Métis.
"Kevin Klein simply does not meet our criteria. We do not recognize the Painted Feather Woodlands Métis or any other group that claims Métis identity outside our definition. This is no different than any of the other cases where groups or individuals are calling themselves Métis when they really mean mixed heritage," Chartrand wrote in an email to CBC News.
The flags in this family tree denote the country of birth of Klein's ancestors. CBC used modern-day flags to represent birthplaces. (CBC )
Genealogical research done by CBC News — some going back five generations — did not find any evidence Klein's mother has a Métis or other Indigenous ancestor.
Census and other historical records say most of Klein's maternal ancestors came to Canada from England or Ireland.
His relative who most recently immigrated to Canada was his great-grandfather born in 1889, who came from Jersey, one of the British Islands. Two of his great-grandmother's grandparents were born in England, the other two in Ireland.
The only one of Klein's ancestors whose roots were not traced back overseas was his great-grandmother born in 1875, whose death certificate indicated her racial origin is English. Her grandparents, three of whom were born in the U.S. and the other in Canada, all said they were not "Indian" in the 1861 census.
This excerpt of the 1931 census shows Klein's great-grandparents Richard Winacott and Annie Winacott (née Davis), and Klein's grandfather Melrose, a.k.a. Mike. The racial origin for all three is listed as English. This is one of dozens of historical records reviewed by CBC News. (Government of Canada)
Premier Stefanson said Klein is one of two Indigenous MLAs in the Progressive Conservative caucus in an interview in January. She also stressed the importance of having Indigenous representation in her party to more accurately reflect the population of the province.
"We need to attract more Indigenous candidates and we are working towards that … more diversity within our candidate selection," Stefanson said.
When informed about the lack of proof of Klein's Métis ancestry and the statements by Chartrand and Klein's brother, a spokesperson who responded on behalf of Stefanson declined to say whether the premier still considers Klein to be an Indigenous PC caucus member.
"As we have worked hard to become Manitoba's most diverse party, we are proud to have the first ever Muslim minister of the Crown, first Black minister and first woman premier in our caucus. Minister Klein is on the record stating clearly he is on a personal journey, and his ancestry is not for political gain," the spokesperson wrote.
WATCH | Premier Heather Stefanson identifies Kevin Klein as Indigenous:
Premier Heather Stefanson identifies Kevin Klein as Indigenous
11 hours ago
Duration1:30
Premier Heather Stefanson says Kevin Klein is one of two Indigenous MLAs in the PC government, along with Selkirk MLA Alan Lagimodiere. She underlines the importance of attracting Indigenous candidates to accurately reflect the composition of Manitoba's population during an interview with Ian Froese in January.
The spokesperson said the premier is satisfied with the vetting of PC Party candidates, but questioned whether New Democrats are satisfied with their candidate vetting process in light of
revelations in 2017 about NDP Leader Wab Kinew's criminal convictions and
stayed domestic violence charges from about two decades ago.
Métis lawyer Jean Teillet, who is Louis Riel's great-grandniece, says universities, governments and other institutions are currently trying to recruit Indigenous people, which could give a candidate who claims to be Indigenous an advantage in an interview.
Teillet said it also benefits the PC party.
"They stand up and they say, 'We've got Indigenous people, see, we're not acting against Indigenous people because we've got Indigenous people in our party. Look, and they speak for their people.'"
'Métis' disappears
This past year, Klein ran back-to-back campaigns in Winnipeg, which 2021 Statistics Canada data says has
Canada's highest population of Indigenous residents.
His failed bid for mayor was followed by a victory in the Kirkfield Park provincial byelection.
At different stages of the campaigns, Klein identified himself as a "proud Métis Canadian" on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account and his website.
Over the course of the past several months, the word Métis has been removed from Klein's personal accounts — first from his X biography, then from his personal website — but the government record hasn't changed.
Kevin Klein posted this photo on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account on Aug. 2, 2022, with the caption: 'Being a proud Métis Canadian I wanted to make my first @Folklorama stop the Métis pavilion, and it was awesome.