Métis Week being celebrated across the province

By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on November 15, 2022.

The Métis Flag was raised outside of City Hall Monday to kick off Métis Week in Alberta. To commemorate the occasion, the City promoted the Michif language with the Métis greeting of hello, Tan’si, celebrating the language and culture of the Métis identity.
“The importance of celebrating Métis week is to keep alive the memory of our leader Louie Riel, who passed away on November 16,” said Alice Bissonette, Métis Elder. “It is a way to keep our Métis strong nowadays. In this busy world it is easy to forget things, and strangely enough, one of them is culture. We like to keep our culture alive, we have a very vibrant culture, and it is great to be able to come to City Hall and raise a Métis flag here with the infinity symbol on it. The symbol stands for the joining of two cultures of the Indigenous and European peoples. Through the years we have learned from each other and we have taught each other, we still have a strong connection.”
Métis Week is a chance to spread more cultural awareness and highlight the historical significance in our country.
“The Métis flag predates the Canadian flag by at least 150 years,” said Adam Browning, president of the Lethbridge and Area Métis Community. “It is a huge significance for us as a people. Especially being part of the Métis homeland, which has always been the prairie provinces.”
With a growing population here in Lethbridge, the week will celebrate the rich culture and heritage many share.
“According to the last census from 2021 there is about 2,200 self-identifying Métis in Lethbridge,” said Browning. “From 1,695 up to just over 2,210, that is important to us. Our Métis people feel comfortable to take up this space. We are over a third of the Indigenous population in Lethbridge, and that is important for us.”
A list of events happening in the city this week for those looking to join in on the celebrations can be found visiting the Lethbridge Métis Facebook page at facebook.com/MNALethbridgeMétis.
“We need to do a great job of educating the public on who we are and celebrating who we are,” said Browning. “There is a huge diversity of Indigenous languages in Canada. They are not all the same, and to see the diversity of language that is not just Oki but Tan’si and others is important. Because we have individual languages, and they are really important to who we are. It is a big step forward in this city.”

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