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Why I’m Running for Vice President: Building a Stronger, More Inclusive Métis Nation

Updated: 5 days ago

As a proud Métis woman, mother, leader, and lifelong community advocate, I believe in a Métis Nation–Saskatchewan where every citizen is heard, valued, and empowered. That’s why I’m running to be your next Vice President of the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan.

This campaign isn’t about ego or power — it’s about service. It’s about listening to the people. And it’s about standing up for what we know is right: inclusion, accountability, and community-led governance.


Rooted in Community, Guided by Integrity

I’ve spent my life working alongside grassroots leaders, Elders, youth, Two-Spirit kin, and women’s organizations across Saskatchewan. Through my leadership with Les Filles de Madeleine (LFDM), I’ve witnessed the power of what happens when we lead together:

✅ Over $3.5 million secured for Métis women and family programming ✅ 600+ voices heard through a province-wide family violence survey ✅ Standing up for Métis rights in court during R v Boyer ✅ Rebuilding LFDM through grassroots reform and unity

These accomplishments show what’s possible when leadership is accountable, inclusive, and community-first.


 

My Platform: For the People, With the People

Our Nation is at a turning point. We can continue with top-down politics—or we can return to what makes us strong: our communities. My platform is built on 7 key pillars, each informed by the voices and realities of our Citizens:

  1. Transition MN–S from a Secretariat to a True Métis Government

    • Lead the shift from a federally managed program-and-service model to an independent, self-determined Métis government.

    • Develop a strong governance framework that upholds and reflects Métis law, custom, and community authority free from federal dependency and bureaucratic control.

  2. Advance Constitutional & Legislative Reform for Nationhood

    • Support the reform of our Métis Constitution and legislation rooted in grassroots input, traditional governance, and accountability.

    • Enshrine rights, responsibilities, and regional and local representation through Métis-made legislation that guides the future of our Nation.

    • Uphold the integrity of our Constitution proven to withstand legal scrutiny as the foundation for self-government and Nationhood.

  3. Restore Community Power & Decentralize Decision-Making

    • Return governance to historic and contemporary Métis communities; strengthening locals, families, and regions as the heart of our Nation.

    • Ensure every citizen has a voice in governance through transparent, accountable structures that dismantle the growing bureaucracy.

  4. Assert Métis Rights and Jurisdiction

    • The Métis Nation was born out of resistance, forged through self-determination, and carried forward by generations who fought to protect our land, our laws, and our way of life. But today, our rights are still being negotiated at tables where our voices are often filtered or sidelined. It’s time to change that.

      • Reclaim Full Jurisdiction: We will assert inherent Métis jurisdiction over land, health, education, child and family services, justice, taxation and economic development. These are not privileges to be negotiated these are rights grounded in history and protected by law.

      • Advance a Métis-Led Treaty Process: No more top-down negotiations. We must lead our own path toward treaty recognition one rooted in Métis law, tradition, and governance, not in the frameworks designed by colonial governments. A true Métis Treaty must reflect who we are, not who others think we should be.

      • Protect Our Homeland and Land Rights: From riverlots to road allowances, our claim to the land is not abstract it is historical, spiritual, and legal. We will push for the full recognition of community-held land rights and ensure our people can live, build, and thrive on and in our homeland.

      • Challenge Government Overreach: The Métis Nation–Saskatchewan must stop acting as an administrative extension of Indigenous Services Canada. We will stand firm against encroachments on our rights, reject paternalistic oversight, and ensure our government is accountable to our citizens not to federal funders.

      • Build Legal Capacity and Defend Our Rights in Court: We will strengthen our internal legal frameworks, build a Métis-led judicial oversight body, and defend our collective rights in every legal forum necessary; local, provincial, federal, or international.

    • This is not about confrontation. This is about assertion. About standing in our truth. About building a Nation that governs itself, protects its people, and honours the struggle of our ancestors.

  5. Uplift Our People: Women, Youth, Elders & 2SLGBTQ+ Citizens

    • Build safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces that reflect the diversity and strength of the Métis Nation.

    • Reimagine leadership through shared values, not titles and invest in nation-building, not gatekeeping.

  6. Restore MN–S as the Nation of Choice for Métis Citizens

    • Address the exodus of Métis citizens seeking benefits from other Nations due to MN–S inaction. Develop health, education, and taxation strategies that reflect Métis priorities and rights.

    • Build a Nation that reflects our people’s vision, values, and dignity; one that past leaders dreamed of and future generations can proudly inherit.

  7. Continue to Honour, Revitalize, Restore

    • Language and culture are the lifeblood of our Nation. As Vice President, I will champion continued investment in Michif language revitalization, land-based learning, and community-led cultural programs that reconnect us with supporting Elders as knowledge keepers and youth as torchbearers ensuring our identity is never lost but proudly passed on.

    • We must honour our Métis Veterans and Survivors; those who sacrificed and endured for the freedoms we hold today. From Survivors to Métis Veterans of every era, I commit to supporting and advancing recognition, justice, and meaningful supports rooted in respect, healing, and Nationhood.


 

Accountability. Support. Unity.

This campaign is about rebuilding — not just structures, but trust. That means:

  • Holding leadership accountable to you, the people

  • Supporting Métis citizens where it matters most

  • Uniting our communities with transparency and purpose

I will not stand by while unethical behaviour, gatekeeping, and top-down decision-making erode our Nation. As Vice President, I will work with you — not above you — to restore integrity and community power.


 

A Nation Where We All Belong

We are at a moment in time where we can choose a different future — one grounded in truth, healing, and collective strength. Our ancestors dreamed of a Nation that stood for all of us. Now is the time to honour that dream.

"I believe in a Métis Nation where every woman, every Two-Spirit person, and every grassroots voice matters. Together, we can walk forward in strength, justice, and unity." – Karen LaRocque

 

Vote Karen LaRocque – Vice President of the MN–S Saskatchewan

Election Day: May 24, 2025 Because we are the Nation. And we belong.


 
 
 

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