President's Corner - July 11, 2025
Posted on: Jul 11, 2025
At the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, we know that change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in conversation, in collaboration, and in community. This past week, during Calgary’s Stampede, we showed up in all three ways.
I was honoured to attend the second annual Métis Stampede Festival, where our stories, songs, and spirit were front and centre. From fiddles to jigging to Bannock, this event reminded all of us, Métis and non-Métis alike, that our culture is strong, our community is growing, and our voices matter. Thank you to the Calgary Nose Hill and Calgary Elbow Métis Districts, in partnership with the Rocky View Métis District, for organizing this outstanding celebration. Your energy and passion make our government proud.
During the Festival, we also attended an Elder talk by Elder Priscilla Paul, who shared heartfelt stories about her Métis family.
Stampede is also a time when political and community leaders from across the province and the country gather in one place. And our government used that opportunity to do what governments must do: connect, advocate, and get things done.
Over the course of the week, I chatted with Premier Danielle Smith, several of her Cabinet Ministers including Rebecca Schulz, Rajan Sawhney, and Andrew Boitchenko, and federal Ministers Eleanor Olszewski and Jill McKnight. I also met with Edmonton Mayor Sohi and spoke with staff and leaders from across party lines and all levels of government.
These meetings weren’t photo ops. They were working conversations about housing, self-government, economic development, and the future we’re building for the next generation of Métis people.
As your President, I take seriously my responsibility to make sure our Citizens’ voices are heard, our priorities are clear, and our government is respected. We may not agree on everything with every government, but we show up anyway because that’s how progress is made.
The Otipemisiwak Métis Government is a new government, but we are not new to governance. Our people have always found ways to bridge communities and bring people together. That’s what we’re doing today whether at a kitchen party, a Stampede breakfast, or a boardroom table.
We will keep pushing forward. We will keep building relationships. And we will keep showing up, wherever decisions are made that affect our Citizens and our future.