It’s not the same as gathering in person, but for safety’s sake, Metis Nation-Saskatchewan has decided to celebrate Back to Batoche Days online.
Minister of Culture and Heritage, Sherry McLennan says the silver lining is easier access for those who have never been able to travel to Batoche.
The event, which celebrates Metis culture and heritage, includes fiddle, square dance and jig competitions, a gospel show on Sunday and Food Truck Alley every day through the weekend.
McLennan explains that we can all watch cooks from across Canada prepare traditional Metis dishes like bannock and boulettes, which are meatballs cooked in flour soup.
The Voyageur games include competitions for trap setting, tea boiling, log throwing and animal calls.
Back to Batoche Days began as an annual event in 1970, bringing people to the area that saw the last armed conflict between the Canadian government and the Metis provisional government in 1885 in the Northwest Rebellion.
McLennan says the annual celebration brings together Metis from across North America.
It began Thursday night and continues online through Sunday.