President Sandmaier Addresses INAN on Métis Justice and Community Safety
Posted on: Nov 13, 2025
From November 3 to 6, 2025, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government was in Ottawa, where President Andrea Sandmaier met with federal officials and advanced several key priorities on Parliament Hill.
President Sandmaier appeared before the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) to outline the Métis Nation’s justice and community safety priorities.
She emphasized that safety for Métis people begins with health, housing, family, and culture, and that these social determinants must guide federal policy. The President called for investments focused on prevention and wellness, highlighting the government’s work on a Métis Health Strategy, culturally grounded child and family services, and recovery programs like Healing Waters. She underscored that these are also safety programs because, at its core, safety is wellness.
President Sandmaier also spoke about the importance of rebuilding trust. She reflected on the murders of Jacob Sansom and Maurice Cardinal and how leniency shown in parole decisions has eroded trust in a justice system that often fails Indigenous victims. To rebuild this trust, she called for meaningful bail and justice reform, stronger and more transparent relationships with police that include dedicated liaison officers, and sustainable funding for Métis-led safety initiatives.
Beyond committee, President Sandmaier met with Justice Minister Sean Fraser to continue discussions on co-development, accountability, Indigenous policing, the Indigenous Justice Strategy, and UNDRIP implementation. She also met with Crown–Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty to discuss the path forward for fully implementing our legally binding Self-Government Agreements and negotiating our Self-Government Treaty.
Additional meetings included conversations with MPs Jamie Schmale, Billy Morin and Sebastien Lemire, all key members of the INAN committee and with Maggie Chi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, to discuss Métis health priorities.
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