CUPE Saskatchewan’s Indigenous Council was proud to join the 2023 Back to Batoche Days, which drew a record crowd of over 40,000 people for the annual celebrations of the Métis Nation in Saskatchewan on July 20 – 23, 2023.
This year’s festival theme was Year of the Youth at Batoche – celebrating the future generations of the Métis Nation. The festival features the Métis fiddle and the Red River Jig, voyageur games, chuck wagon racing, sports and contemporary games, rodeo, Métis traditional food and artisans, storytelling and traditional teachings, the Michif language, and much more!
Back to Batoche Days annual celebrations are held in Batoche, Saskatchewan – the historic homeland of the Métis and historic site of the 1885 Northwest Resistance. Back to Batoche Days celebrates Métis culture, traditions and heritage, pays homage to heroes such as Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont and many others and honours Métis veterans.
At this year’s festival, one of the many highlights included Sunday’s event that recognized John Arcand, Master of the Métis fiddle, for his contributions to Métis music and culture. Mr. Arcand in turn created a new composition that honoured and recognized President Glen McCallum and the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan.
In 2010, CUPE Saskatchewan signed a landmark partnership agreement with Métis Nation – Saskatchewan to promote greater participation and recognition of Métis peoples within the public sector workforce, to expand cross-cultural awareness and to increase cooperation in other public policy areas of mutual interest such as advocating for access to safe drinking water, educational opportunities and environmental stewardship.
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