Back to Batoche Festival returns with new awards and events

Canada’s largest outdoor Indigenous cultural gathering is set to kick off this week as Back to Batoche begins their 56^thfestival.

Taking place from July 16-19 at the festival grounds adjacent to the Batoche National Historic Site, Back to Batoche is four day immersion into Métis culture, featuring traditional dance, music, food, activities, performances, and history.

“It’s important for us to celebrate our identity, culture, values, and language. As Métis people, we love gathering and celebrating over music and food like our ancestors did so many years ago around the kitchen table,” said Danielle Ethier, Manager of K-12 Education at Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) and co-organizer of entertainment at the Back to Batoche festival.

Organizers for the festival meet in January to begin the six-month preparations, said Ethier. Last year the festival was attended by a total of 20,000 – 30,000 people. They expect a similar turnout this year.

“There’s a lot of movement, a lot of hard work that goes into it. Whether it’s rain or the heat, there’s a lot of land to tend to and it takes a lot of people to make it work,” said Ethier.

This year’s festival comes with several new components and events, including the inaugural President’s Medals. The new awards, to be presented annually, honour individuals, organizations, and initiatives that positively impact the Métis community.

“These awards are something I’ve thought about bestowing on citizens for a long time. I’m very proud we’re now at the point where we can recognize dedication to community, fellow citizens, and our government,” said MN-S President Glen McCallum in a statement.

The popular Vermette Raceway venue, which hosts events like the Indian relay, as well as the chariot and chuckwagon races, will feature two new events this year – flat races and mounted shooting.

A sprint-like race, flat racing is an event derived from buffalo hunting, in which horse-mounted Métis hunters would quickly gallop into a herd of bison.

Mounted shooting also connects to traditional hunting methods in which Métis marksmen relied on their highly trained horses to run into a buffalo herd, leaving their hands free to load and shoot.