Otipemisiwak Métis Government Leadership Attends Unveiling of Repatriated Métis Dog Sled Model
Posted on: Feb 26, 2026
A historic Métis ancestral item is one step closer to being returned home.
On February 25, 2026, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government participated in a ceremony in Ottawa to witness the unboxing of an ancestral item recently returned to the Métis Nation from the Vatican Museums’ Anima Mundi collection along with leadership of the Métis National Council (MNC). President Andrea Sandmaier was joined by: Secretary for Citizenship & Registry Joe Chodzicki, Secretary for Youth, Sport & Gender Equity Rebecca Lavallee, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, His Excellency Mr. Whit Fraser, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture.
Preliminary research indicates that the model Métis Dog Sled dates to approximately 1920 and reflects the central role of dog teams in Métis life from the fur trade era into the 20th century. Early analysis by Métis cultural material experts describes it as an extremely rare representation of a Métis dog team and sled characteristic of those used throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Dog teams were essential for transporting goods and mail, trapping, and carrying visitors to Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company posts.
“This event marks a powerful moment for the Métis Nation,” said President Andrea Sandmaier. “The return of this Métis Dog Sled model is about more than an ancestral item, it is about restoring connection to our history, honouring the ingenuity and resilience of our ancestors, and reaffirming that our cultural items belong with our people. Repatriation strengthens our identity and ensures that future generations can see, learn from, and take pride in the legacy of our Nation.”
