President's Corner
Posted on: Aug 23, 2024
Our Inaugural Citizens’ Gathering as the Otipemisiwak Métis Government was a tremendous success. With more than 700 Citizen’s attending, this weekend marked our Nation’s 96th consecutive year of gathering. This successful turnout speaks to the dedication of our Citizens and our joint commitment to advance Métis rights and interests in Alberta.
It was a pleasure to share important announcements about our progress towards self-government, which included reaffirming with the Government of Canada our shared commitment to advancing Métis self-determination. With Canada’s Chief Federal Negotiator, we updated Citizens on progress made for implementing the 2023 Self-Government Agreement. We also provided a timeline for reaching a self-government treaty that will need to be approved by our Citizen’s through a province-wide ratification vote. Learn more about our progress.
We also announced our partnership with the province of Alberta to construct the Healing Waters Recovery Community near Métis Crossing. This will be a critical support for individuals seeking holistic, culturally appropriate treatment on their recovery from addiction and substance use. Once construction is complete, this state-of-the-art facility will be able to support 300 people each year, free of charge. I am so incredibly proud of this partnership, driven by our Secretary of Mental Health and Addiction Kaila Mitchell and our health department. I encourage everyone to read the full announcement.
A number of departmental updates were also provided to Citizens from our provincial secretaries and department directors. Equally as important, the gathering was an opportunity to hear directly from you: our Citizens. I want to thank everyone who asked insightful questions, shared their thoughts and brought forward Citizens’ proposals. 
This year’s gathering left me feeling hopeful and optimistic about the future of Métis people in Alberta. And I want to assure you that over the next 12 months, our government will continue to work hard to support every one of you as we strive to see the dreams of our ancestors realized. Serving as your president to accomplish this is an immense honour.