Past Programs and Services
Saskatoon Métis Local 126 provides programs and services identified and requested by our members. We have provided quite a few programs over the years, and we are always looking for new ideas for how we can better support our members and the larger Métis community.
Saskatoon Métis 4-H Club
We established a 4-H club as a way to teach Métis culture to youth. We had thought about creating a new type of club, but we felt that it was better to partner with an established program that people would recognize and with an organization that was interested in Indigenization and reconciliation. The club was open to everyone, Métis or not, ages 6 to 25. The program ran for one year, but we had struggles with continuity of the club. Some of the projects that we were looking at doing were:
Jigging lessons
Beading
Métis language (e.g. Michif, Bungi, etc.)
Red River cart building
York boat building
Birch bark canoe building
Capote making
Traditional Métis foods (e.g. bannock, pemmican, etc.)
Fiddle lessons
Sash fingerweaving
We are still interested in running this club, so please let us know if you are interested in helping to run this club.
Funding for this program was provided through Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP).
Hunter safety and firearm safety training
An area of interest that was identified by our membership is an interest in learning how to hunt and to get a firearm licence. We organized and paid for a firearm safety course with a local instructor for people to get their non-restricted Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL), and we paid for people to take an online Saskatchewan hunter safety course.
We feel that it's not just enough to get your PAL and hunter safety course, it's also important to learn something about Métis culture and the traditional practices that are associated with harvesting. Métis have a long history and vibrant culture around harvesting, most notably the bison hunts of old that were a key part of the Métis economy in the 1700s and 1800s. We had two Métis Elders come to provide some cultural teachings and tell stories about Métis harvesting practices.
This course was very successful, and we have had a lot of interest in running another round of courses. Keep an eye out for more courses in the future.
Funding for this program was provided through Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP).
Métis New Year's Partii
We've partnered with the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre at the University of Saskatchewan to hold two new year celebrations. Historically, Métis did not have a festive celebration on Christmas, as this was a day of solemn religious observance. Rather, they had a huge party that started on New Year's Day and went on for several days. We wanted to bring together the Métis community on campus to ring in the new year in Métis style.
For these parties, we had Métis Elders, musicians, jiggers, and story tellers as entertainment, door prizes, and an incredible catered supper full of Métis food. We had a lot of fun, and we're looking forward to the next one.
Funding for this program was provided through Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP).
COVID-19 Pandemic
During the early part of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Local 126 provided food hampers and financial supports that were allocated to the Local by Métis Nation – Saskatchewan.
