‘To come home': Back to Batoche Days wraps up
After four days of celebrating Métis culture and community, Back to Batoche Days wrapped up Sunday evening.
Elder Norman Fleury described the festival as one big family reunion.
'We're bringing people home here,' said Fleury, a provincial elder with Métis Nation–Saskatchewan. 'This is a place to connect with your distinction, with your identity, your music, your stories, your dance, your languages.'
Fleury says roughly 40,000 people attended the event to reunite and connect with their community.
Back to Batoche Days features cultural music, dancing, entertainment and competitions.
Many Métis artists also set up shop during the festival.
Miguel Vielfaure owns Etchiboy, a Winnipeg-based business specializing in a variety of Métis items, including arrowed sashes.
'It's probably where there's the most amount of Métis people gathering in one weekend. So, for me, it's my biggest weekend of the year,' Vielfaure said.
Back to Batoche Days is internationally recognized as a significant Métis cultural celebration, welcoming people from across Canada and beyond.
Marion Gonneville, 71, travelled from Vancouver to attend the festival and take part in the jigging competitions.
'To come home and to be among your own people, you feel really good,' Gonneville said.
Ron DesJarlais travelled 710 kilometres from Rocky Mountain House, Alta., to attend the festival for the second time.
'Everybody's just so friendly and gives you that welcome feeling,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
5 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘Nowhere else I'd rather be': Africville reunion kicks off in Halifax
Hundreds gathered at Halifax's historic Africville community Saturday, in celebration of the 42nd annual Africville reunion. It was a time for people to kickback with one another, all while commemorating the historic Black community's resilient history. Africville was bulldozed in the 1960s, after the city forced people to make room for what it called an 'urban renewal.' Many of Africville's former residents and descendants were in attendance, celebrating the annual reunion. 'I am a descendant of Africville. My mom was born and raised in Africville. So coming down here is so important to me,' says Saundria Rolle, the owner of Sunlight Designs & Co. ''I'm really happy that everyone's back. The community is here and it's really showing our resilience.' The event also made way for African Nova Scotian businesses, who got the opportunity to put their products on display. 'It's hard for small businesses here in Nova Scotia and then to be African Nova Scotian... I mean, it can be even more difficult. So being able to have that opportunity to network, showcase my work is really, really good,' says Rolle. Saturday's event schedule featured no shortage of food, games and music, as community members flocked to the site amid sunny conditions. Africville Reunion Hundreds gathered at Halifax's historic Africville community Saturday. (Vanessa Wright/CTV News) 'I've always been loving to go back here. It feels like a really good place to be at home, and there's really nowhere else I'd rather be than this place,' says attendee Cedele Elijah Morton Ross. Like many in attendance, Ross has strong family ties to Africville. 'My grandmother, Bonnie Ross, was actually a young resident here in Africville before it was torn down. She told me many stories about how she grew up here…I learned so much stuff about this place through my father, my aunts, my uncles,' he says. 'It's honestly just nothing else but a beautiful community.' The Africville reunion celebrations will continue through until Sunday. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
5 minutes ago
- CTV News
A milestone celebration on Sask. golf course
Regina Watch WATCH: A birthday celebration for a 100-year-old man who still golfs every day was held on Friday. Mick Favel has the story.
CTV News
35 minutes ago
- CTV News
Paul Brandt headlines Calgary fundraiser to raise awareness about human trafficking in Canada
Alberta country singer Paul Brandt hosted a fundraiser Friday in downtown Calgary for Not My City, a charity he founded to raise awareness about human trafficking. A fundraiser took place Friday night led by an Alberta country music legend to raise awareness about human trafficking. Paul Brandt was the main attraction at the TELUS Convention Centre for the third annual 'A Not So Silent Summer' concert. The event brought together live music, fans and community leaders in support of Not My City, a charity founded by Brandt. The Juno Award winning songwriter of 'Alberta Bound' created the organization after seeing how sexual exploitation affects individuals, families and communities. 'We had heard from a number of people in the province that they didn't even believe there was human trafficking going in the province here,' Brandt said. 'A lot of times people think it's a conspiracy theory, something that they don't really expect would happen in a country as wonderful as Canada, but the reality is that it is happening,' he added. 'And in eight years, we've seen an awakening,' he said, 'where it's starting to go from a head knowledge for people -- they're learning about the statistics -- to a real heart knowledge.' To learn more about Not My City, go here.
