The president of NunatuKavut says that the Federal Court ruling that grants Indian status to Métis and non-status Indians is a victory for all aboriginal groups in Canada.

Todd Russell, whose group was formerly known as the Labrador Métis Nation, said Tuesday's decision is a clear-cut message that governments need to take seriously the consultations with aboriginal groups about issues such as those surrounding the Muskrat Falls project.

"[This decision] validates for us what we've been saying for generations," Russell said.

"It validates the fact that we cannot be subject to different rules and tests than, say, the Innu here in Labrador or the Inuit represented by Nunatsiavut."

He said that the court ruling should show the federal and provincial governments that negotiations surrounding projects such as Muskrat Falls and the Labrador-Island Transmission Link should have included NunatuKavut.

"We have rights and interests that should have been taken into account, and that now must be taken into account," he said.

"I think this decision underscores the risks, for instance, that the province and groups like Nalcor take when they treat us in a very shabby way — when they disregard our legitimacy."

The Federal Court ruling on Tuesday did not go so far as to say the federal government has a fiduciary responsibility to the Métis and non-status Indians.