Métis History in Saskatchewan: Places to Learn and Visit

Saskatoon sits on Treaty 6 territory and the homeland of the Métis. We say that a lot, and so does half the city. This post is about the second half of that sentence: who the Métis are in this province, how they got here, and where you can go to learn from Métis people and organizations directly.

We're an Indigenous-owned clothing shop, not a Métis organization, so we're not the authority here. Think of this as a map. Every fact comes from the sources listed at the end, and we'd rather you read those than take our word for it.

Where the Métis Nation comes from

The University of Saskatchewan's Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia traces Métis origins to the fur trade. It dates the start of Métis identity to the mid-1750s in the Great Lakes region, when "Canadien-Algonquian mixed-bloods recognized their distinctness."

A turning point came on June 19, 1816. That day, Métis led by Cuthbert Grant defeated a party of Hudson's Bay Company men and Selkirk settlers at Seven Oaks, near Red River.

After the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company merged in 1821, the Métis kept trading on their own terms. The same source says they worked around the HBC's fur trade monopoly in the 1830s and 1840s and fought for access to bison-hunting grounds in the Dakotas in the 1840s and 1850s. The bison hunt shaped Métis life, economy and politics.

The flag that came before Canada

The Métis infinity flag is older than Canada. According to a Gabriel Dumont Institute document on the Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture, North West Company partners gave the Métis a red infinity flag in the spring of 1815 in the Qu'Appelle Valley.

A blue version was recorded flying on May 31, 1816. The same source says the white infinity symbol stands for two things: "the joining of two cultures" and "the existence of a people forever."

You'll see the blue flag across Saskatchewan today, at Métis events, on buildings and on car windows.

Moving west into Saskatchewan

After 1870, many Métis moved west from Red River. The Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia lists new settlements at Wood Mountain-Willow Bunch, St. Laurent, St. Isidore de Bellevue and Batoche. Métis families also added to existing communities like Cumberland House and Île-à-la-Crosse.

Land was the problem that followed them. The 1879 Dominion Lands Act included provisions meant to extinguish Métis title through scrip. The encyclopedia is blunt about how it worked: "the system, however, was fraudulent and most Métis did not receive or hold title to any land."

1885, in brief

The North-West Resistance began in March 1885. The Métis won early fights at Duck Lake on March 26 and Fish Creek on April 24. They were defeated by a larger Canadian force at Batoche on May 12, 1885.

That's the short version. We wrote a full guide to visiting Batoche National Historic Site, about an hour north of Saskatoon, so we won't repeat it here.

The Road Allowance People

This is a part of the story many people in Saskatchewan never learned in school.

After 1885, many Métis families were pushed to the margins. The Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia says they settled in "dozens of makeshift communities such as Crescent Lake and Little Chicago." Because many lived on the strips of Crown land set aside for roads, they became known as the Road Allowance People.

In the late 1940s, the provincial CCF government set up Métis farms at Lebret and Green Lake. The same source says those projects "ultimately failed."

It's worth sitting with that for a minute. A lot of Métis history in this province is about people holding families and culture together without secure land under them.

Culture you can see and hear

Métis culture blends First Nations and European ways into something of its own. A few things you'll notice:

• The sash. The Back to Batoche Days website calls it "one of the most recognizable symbols of Métis identity." It's a finger-woven wool belt. Voyageurs used it for back support, as a belt, as a rope, even as an emergency sewing kit from the fringe. A high-quality sash can take up to 200 hours to make.
• Floral beadwork. The Métis became known as the "Flower Beadwork People," according to the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan.
• Fiddle and jigging. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan calls the Red River Jig "the signature fiddle tune and dance of the Métis," with many versions and step patterns.
• Michif. This is the Métis language, mainly a mix of Cree and French. The Canadian Encyclopedia says 1,845 people identified as Michif speakers in the 2021 Census, and there are likely fewer than 1,000 fluent speakers. It's considered endangered. The Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan is one of the places it's held on.

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan today

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) is the Métis government in the province, and its office is on 20th Street East in Saskatoon. Its governing authority is the Métis Nation Legislative Assembly, made up of the presidents of Métis Locals and the Provincial Métis Council.

MN–S uses the national definition of Métis for citizenship: a person who self-identifies as Métis, is of historic Métis Nation ancestry, is distinct from other Indigenous peoples, and is accepted by the Métis Nation.

If you're trying to understand the difference between First Nations, Métis and Inuit in general, our plain guide covers that.

Places and people to learn from

• Back to Batoche Days. It started in 1970 and runs for four days every summer at Batoche. Expect fiddling, jigging, square dancing, storytelling, traditional food, voyageur games and chuckwagon races. Organizers say about 10,000 people come.
• Batoche National Historic Site. Parks Canada runs it on the South Saskatchewan River, with a museum, theatre and guided shuttle rides. The 2026 season ran July 2 to September 9, so check the dates before you go.
• Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI). It was founded in 1980 and is the education arm of MN–S. It runs SUNTEP, a Bachelor of Education program with the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina, and the Dumont Technical Institute. It has published more than 160 Métis-specific resources.
• The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture. GDI runs it at metismuseum.ca. It's free, and it's where we found the flag history above.
• Wanuskewin Heritage Park. It's mainly about Northern Plains First Nations history, but it's a good day trip to pair with Batoche.

Questions people ask

Is Saskatoon Métis land?

Saskatoon is on Treaty 6 territory and is also part of the Métis homeland. The University of Saskatchewan uses both in its own land acknowledgement.

What language do Métis people speak?

Michif is the Métis language. It's mainly a combination of Cree and French. Many Métis also speak English, French or Cree.

When is Back to Batoche Days?

It's held each summer at Batoche and runs four days. Check the Back to Batoche Days website for this year's dates.

What does the infinity symbol on the Métis flag mean?

Métis sources say it stands for the joining of two cultures and the existence of a people forever.

Sources

• University of Saskatchewan, Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia: Métis History
• Gabriel Dumont Institute, Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture: The Métis Infinity Flag
• The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan: Métis Culture and Language
• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Michif
• Métis Nation–Saskatchewan: About the Métis Nation
• Métis Gathering (Back to Batoche): Traditional Clothing
• Métis Gathering: About Back to Batoche
• Gabriel Dumont Institute: Overview
• Parks Canada: Batoche National Historic Site
• University of Saskatchewan: Who are the Indigenous Peoples of Canada?