Sands is a Montana historian and retired legislator. Born and raised in Montana, mostly on the Fort Peck Reservation, she is a proud University of Montana graduate. She has directed numerous community history projects, often in collaboration with the MT Historical Society and the Montana Committee for the Humanities, including an oral history of Fort Peck Dam and the contributions of women's organization in building Montana communities. She is a frequent presenter at the MHS conference and the recipient of the MHS Trustees "Montana Heritage Guardian Award" in 1917. She retired from the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula where she focused on the history of the Fort as a WWII Japanese/Italian internment and detention camp. She serves on the Friends Board at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.
Sands served 16 years in the Montana House and Senate. Among her proudest achievements were the creation of the women's history mural in the Capitol. She also worked 3 years at OPI, primarily on federal education grants and Indian Education for All efforts.
Sands was honored with the Montana Award in the Humanities in 1986.