Friday, Oct. 4, the Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs, as well as the Minister Responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission Lori Carr announced that October will be proclaimed as the Month of the Métis in the province of Saskatchewan.
“For more than a century Saskatchewan’s Métis community has been an integral part of our shared culture, history and heritage here in our province,” Carr said. “Through this proclamation we recognize the many contributions generations of Métis individuals and families have made to Saskatchewan.”
“Sharing Métis history and heritage is an important part of reconciliation,” Métis Nation-Saskatchewan President Glen McCallum said. “Our citizens are proud that our language, customs, art, and culture continue to enrich the lives of the many people who now call Saskatchewan home. We are pleased to work with the Government of Saskatchewan in the spirit of inclusion, respect and recognition to celebrate our people and our culture here in the Heart of our Homeland.”
A number of events have been planned throughout the province, including several at Government House in Regina.
The following projects have been made possible by the Government of Canada:
Art Exhibit
• Oct. 1 to November 10, Government House will feature an art exhibition by Métis artist Leah Marie Dorion: Being One with the Earth.
Promissory Note and Scrip Display
• Oct. 1 to Nov. 10, Government House will display a rare Hudson’s Bay Company 1870 Promissory Note, issued at Fort Garry during the Red River Resistance (on loan from the Regina Coin Club). Also on display will be a sample of Métis Scrip, which was offered to Métis families to compensate them for loss of their title.
Guest Speaker
• On Oct 15, Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty will host a presentation featuring guest speaker Jean Teillet. The great-grandniece of Louis Riel, Teillet is an Indigenous-rights lawyer who lives in Vancouver.
