(Submitted photo/ Back to Batoche)

By Nicole Reis

BACK TO BATOCHE

Annual Back to Batoche celebration goes virtual

Jul 14, 2020 | 5:08 PM

You’ll be able to clap your hands and tap your feet along with Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, Canadian Geographic, and friends from across the street and around the globe during virtual Back to Batoche. It takes place July 23 to 26.

Due to COVID-19, this year’s popular annual celebration will look slightly different while still encompassing the elements which make it special to so many. Back to Batoche brings people together from all across North America to recognize and celebrate the Métis Nation’s rich culture, traditions and heritage.

Batoche Minister Sherry McLennan told meadowlakeNOW in place of a physical gathering, MN-S collaborated with Canadian Geographic to assist them in welcoming everyone to come together online for Back to Batoche in 2020.

“I have been on the Batoche grounds already and when you get out there you feel the need to be with other Métis people, you can feel the dancing and the music once you hit your feet on the grounds of Batoche,” she said. “This year with COVID-19 and trying to stay healthy as well as keep everyone else healthy, we have to do this virtually.”

Since 1970, the festival has been held annually at the national historic site commemorating the 1885 North-West Resistance and location of The Battle of Batoche. Due to the pandemic, MN–S postponed the 50th-anniversary celebrations until 2021, marking the first postponement since Back to Batoche began.

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(Submitted photo/ Back to Batoche)

“With the virtual celebration, we wanted to still have Batoche but not have it on the ground so we came up with the idea of having it virtual,” McLennan said. “We won’t be able to taste the food but we will see some grassroots people cooking up some Métis dishes through video so they will send their recipe in and explain how to cook the dish.”

There will still be something for all ages and a celebration of Métis culture and history with music, dance, and education. There will also be competitions in jigging, fiddling, and square dancing, where competitors can upload videos and compete.

“Especially during these times of isolation and being stuck in the house, we need to connect through our music, culture and traditions,” McLennan said. “By having this virtually portrayed throughout the nation, people can connect this way.”

The digital experience of Canadian Geographic, combined with Back to Batoche allows the community to come together from across the globe for the event.

Jason Muscant, Director of Development and partnerships with Canadian Geographic explained in January of this year, their partnership with MN-S would lend resources, tools and platforms to amplify initiatives to revitalize the Michif language in Saskatchewan and throughout Canada.

“As part of that process, we began collaboration on a number of programs and initiatives that we had hoped to launch this year at the in-person Back to Batoche celebration,” he said. “With COVID-19, we’re unable to gather this summer to actually bring some of those programs and initiatives to the community.”

(Submitted photo/ Back to Batoche)

MN-S and Canadian Geographic have built a platform and created some programming, learning tools and initiatives to help bring the community together to raise awareness and engagement for Michif language, to celebrate Métis culture and to hopefully bring people together during a time of COVID-19.

“We’re doing our best with this program to pay homage to what Batoche is and has been for the Métis Nation. Traditional voyager games are being envisioned and reimagined within a virtual setting, there will be education for young Métis to engage with elders and do some language learning,” Muscant explained. “On the grounds of Batoche, I understand every year there are food trucks, so we’ll try to simulate that virtually with some content and engagement about food.”

Live-streamed events can be found here from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, July 26.

A full event schedule and competition regulations will be released at a later date.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722