Chartrand was first elected to the Manitoba Métis Federation Board of Directors, representing the Winnipeg Region, in 1988, and was re-elected four times.

He has also served on the board of the Northern Justice Society (Simon Fraser University) and as a Director for the Manitoba Métis Federation for 10 years before becoming President in 1997.

He has overseen major governmental initiatives, including the establishment of the first Red River Métis specific post-secondary Scholarship and Bursary Endowment Fund in 1999.

In 2003, Chartrand led negotiations for the devolution of Métis Child and Family Services, leading to the development and implementation of mandated agencies throughout the province.

Chartrand also established “Le Métis”, a two-page, full-colour, insert in the Grassroots News Aboriginal newspaper, with a distribution of approximately 40,000 throughout Manitoba.

In 2022 the Métis National Council filed a lawsuit against its former president and the Manitoba Metis Federation alleging financial malfeasance, irregularities and questionable contracts.

As President, Chartrand championed Red River Métis Land Claims and contributed to the harvesting rights won in Ontario through the R. v. Powley case.

The decision further held that "[t]he unfinished business of reconciliation of the Métis people with Canadian sovereignty is a matter of national and constitutional import" and issued a declaration "[t]hat the federal Crown failed to implement the land grant provision set out in section 31 of the Manitoba Act, 1870 in accordance with the honour of the Crown".

This opened the door to subsequent Supreme Court decisions like the 2016 Daniels case that recognized the Métis Nation as section rights holders under the Canadian Constitution.

On May 27, 2016, the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Government of Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Reconciliation, to foster engagement in an exploratory discussions process to develop a mutually agreeable Framework Agreement.

In 2021, the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Government of Canada signed a Negotiators Agreement to advance reconciliation consistent with section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

In June 2023, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal at an Extraordinary General Assembly held to ratify the Red River Métis treaty with Canada.