Annual Metis gathering and celebration turns 35

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Visitors to this year's 35th annual Back to Batoche celebrations, held at the Batoche National Historic Site in Saskatchewan from July 21 to 24, had the chance to celebrate Metis culture and take part in a variety of traditional Metis activities.

While the ball tournament that is usually held during the event was cancelled this year due to a shortage of teams, a number of other perennial favourites were on the agenda, including the Batoche musical, voyageur games, horseshoe tournaments and, of course, plenty of fiddling and jigging.

A new event called Metis Idol was added to the bill, attracting a lot of interest. About 50 contestants took part in the showcase of Metis talent, taking to the stage and vying for a chance to be named as the first-ever Metis Idol.

The Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) sponsored the Metis Idol competition, and MNO communications officer Katelin Peltier kicked off the event with a display of her singing abilities. She also acted as co-host for the competition, along with Duane Morrisseau, executive assistant of administrative affairs with the Metis National Council.

The three judges for the event ranked each contestant based on vocals, originality, rhythm and stage presence. In the end it was Saskatchewan's own Michael Durocher who walked away with the Metis Idol title. As part of his prize, Durocher will have his demo tape played on the air by participating radio stations.

Ruby Norman and Harmonie King, two cousins from Meadow Lake, were among the competitors taking a shot at the Metis Idol title. The girls said they were both a little nervous about getting up in front of everyone to sing their favourite songs.

"My family pushed me to do this," said King, 19.

This was King's fifth time at Back to Batoche. She said this year she came to volunteer some of her time in one of the food booths and to enter Metis Idol.

Along with the Metis Idol contestants, a number of established artists were also on hand to provide entertainment, including fiddler extraordinaire John Arcand, the Country Jammers, and 15-year-old fiddle sensation Sierra Noble.

"She is just a tremendous fiddler," Albert Delaire, chairman of the board of the national Batoche committee,said of Noble. "She was able to keep up with the master fiddlers like John Arcand."

According to Delaire, Batoche use to be a place where people would go and play the fiddle and guitar together. More and more people started to gather each year, and those gatherings eventually evolved into the annual Back to Batoche celebration.

"Batoche is all about bringing people together and celebrating our culture," said Delaire. "Batoche is a place not only for Metis people but a place for everybody that enjoys music and the Metis culture."

The event also helps to educate the public about Metis culture and the important role the Metis people played in Canadian history.

Debbie Kennedy, a Metis woman from North Battleford, said she likes what goes on in Batoche but is mostly intrigued by the Metis culture. "Batoche is the place to learn about the Metis culture," said Kennedy. "I like coming here because I meet different people every year and this is a place for all Nations."

One of the highlights of this year's event was the fireworks displays on Friday and Saturday night, something that hasn't been part of Back to Batoche since the first official gathering was held 35 years ago.

Friday was also a special day for two people from the Batoche area. Henry and Nora Cummings were named Mr. and Mrs. Batoche. The couple has attended Back to Batoche without fail for each of its 35 years.

"We pick people who have given a lot and helped at Batoche and who keep coming back each year just like Mr. and Mrs. Cummings," said Albert Delaire. "We want to continue to keep bringing people back and celebrating our culture."

The turn out for this year's event was better than in past years, Delaire said. Among those taking part in the eent was a group of seven Metis youth who travelled 2,300 km by canoe to take part in the celebrations.

Angela Wassegijig, Alison Croft, Amanda Strong, Chris McLeod, Ginny Gonneau, Jeremy Brown and Rubecka Davidson spent eight weeks making the trip, which began in Thunder Bay, Ont., retracing the route travelled by Metis voyageurs in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The purpose of the Metis Canoe Expedition was to celebrate Metis history and culture, and to inspire Metis pride across the homeland. This expedition was a sequel to the 2003 canoe expedition, which departed from Lachine, Que. and arrived in Thunder Bay.

The team members put in long days of paddling and portages to reach their final destination, battling the elements of sun, wind and rain along the way. At one point during their trek, the canoe capsized and the team had to scour the river to gather up their gear. At another point the expedition members, grounded because of bad weather, watched as a tornado formed over Lake Manitoba.

All seven members of the expedition agreed their experience was something that will stay with them always, and most said that, given a chance, it was something they would do again.

When asked what she will remember most about her journey, Croft said that the first night in Batoche was something she will always remember because her then-boyfriend, now fiance, came to her camp and proposed to her.

The warm welcomes the expedition members received from the communities along their route were also a highlight.

"I will always remember coming into a lot of the small communities and the people were just so amazing. They were thrilled to see us," said Croft.

Also in attendance at this year's Back to Batoche celebrations were members of the Red River Metis Heritage Group, a cultural group that travelled to Batoche from San Clara, Man. in Red River carts the group built to replicate those traditionally used by the Metis. Because the distance from their base in St. orbert, Man. to Batoche was too far to cover all at once, the group decided to divide their journey into two parts. Last year, they covered the ground between St. Norbert and San Clara, travelling the remaining 300 miles of the trail this year.

The heritage group brought with them a large wooden cross, fashioned to resemble a wagon wheel, which was erected at the Batoche site during the celebrations. The cross was dedicated to those who lost their lives while defending the rights and freedoms of the Metis people.