Métis Cultural Days began on Friday and has continued till Tuesday in Saskatoon to showcase Métis culture and history.
Beading on a fur pelt from Métis Cultural Days.
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The event, now in its sixth year, was started to showcase the wonderful history of the Métis people and to help bring awareness and understanding to their culture, language and beliefs.
“We want to showcase our Métis culture and what we do. I mean, we have great entertainment. We have fiddle players and jiggers and people get up and sing and it’s just a great atmosphere,” said Shirley Isbister, president of Central Urban Métis Federation Inc.
The event was held at the Western Development Museum and included demonstrations of bannock making, trap setting and learning of the Michif language.
Students even got the opportunity to try their hand at beading and bring home their creations.
A student working on their Métis beading project.
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“This is a wonderful way to teach about who we are as people,” said Chandrelle Marshall, Saskatoon Public Schools senior lead for Métis and Michif education.
“So we teach the historic, but it’s also really good to teach the contemporary. And we’re here. We’re alive today as Métis/Michif people here in Saskatoon, and we want students to know that we have a vibrant culture.”
People come from all over Canada to experience the event.
“Someone took a pic of a couple from Alberta that have been coming for all six years and there’s lots of people that come in from the north. We have people that come in from Manitoba,” Isbister said.
The event even helped connect families.
“We’re all connected some way because we’re when we gather … we’re hearing who’s relatives and you find fourth and third cousins and yeah, it’s amazing. I mean, one of our first questions is: ‘Do you know where are you from? Which family are you from?’ And then you start getting down to how we’re connected,” Isbister said.
The next event will be taking place the second weekend of September next year and everyone is encouraged to attend, even those without Métis ancestry.
A Red River cart being pushed by students.
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“We always say that if you don’t understand something, ask questions. There’s no such thing as a silly question. So ask about us, who we are, where we come from,” Isbister said.