President's Corner: May 2, 2026
Posted on: May 01, 2026
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on the responsibility we carry as a government and as a people to honour, uplift, and protect our communities. With Red Dress Day coming up on May 5, that reflection feels especially important.
Red Dress Day is a time to remember and honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people. It is a day of mourning, but also of visibility and action.
Across our communities, red dresses will be hung in trees, in windows, and in public spaces, each one representing a life that should still be here. Each one is a reminder that behind every statistic and number is a human being. Our loved ones, family members, and community leaders whose absence is deeply felt.
For Métis people in Alberta, this day is also a call to continue pushing for change. Our Citizens deserve to feel safe in their homes, in their communities, and wherever life takes them. That means continuing to advocate for justice, for better supports, and for systems that respond with compassion and accountability.
That’s why we’re continuing to advocate for long-term, sustainable funding to improve safety, prevention, and support services for Métis women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, to expand the Red Dress Alert system beyond Manitoba, to expedite the passage and implementation of Bill C-16 to strengthen protections for survivors of domestic violence, and to ensure hate-motivated crimes against Métis people are fully prosecuted within Canada’s justice system.
While Red Dress Day is rooted in grief, it is also grounded in resilience. Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people are the heart of our communities. Their strength, leadership, and care continue to shape who we are as a Métis people. Honouring them means not only remembering those we’ve lost but uplifting those who are here today.
As we move into the summer months, I also want to take a moment to share something I’m really looking forward to. Our Kitchen Party Tour will be travelling to communities across Alberta, bringing Citizens together to celebrate Métis culture, connection, community, and our Métis identity. You can find the location and dates for our Kitchen Party Tour on the Otipemisiwak Métis Government’s social media and website.
I hope to see many of you there.
President Andrea Sandmaier,
Otipemisiwak Métis Government