An event in Saskatoon this weekend is looking to highlight the importance of Metis elders.
The fourth annual Metis Days will be taking place in the city with this year’s theme being The Year of the Elder.
Organizer and Central Urban Metis Federation President, Shirley Isbister, says they want to use this year’s event to showcase the importance of elders to Metis culture.
“The elders are the heart of our communities,” says Isbister. “They give us their knowledge and then we transfer that knowledge to our children and grand-children.”
Isbister says she is excited for this event every year because it is one of the few events in the city that puts Metis culture at the forefront.
“If people come together to eat and dance together that is a simple way to stop racism,” says Isbister. “When you get a chance to experience someone else’s culture you get a whole new perspective of who they are.”
The event is open to Metis and non-Metis people alike.
The now annual showcase of Metis culture will begin Friday afternoon at the Western Development Museum and will run throughout the weekend. It will feature Metis inspired music, traditional games, Michif language lessons and Saskatoon Police Chief Troy Cooper will be putting his title on the line in the annual neckbone eating contest.
(PHOTO: Metis Cultural Days 2019. Photo courtesy of metisdays.ca)