People gathered at Batoche to honor Métis veterans. (submitted photo/Métis Nation Saskatchewan)

By Doug Lett

Métis Veterans event

Métis veterans honored at Batoche

Nov 8, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Métis Nation Saskatchewan honored Métis veterans on Tuesday, as part of Indigenous Veterans Day.

Dignitaries gathered at the veterans monument at Batoche.

And while the ceremony was outdoors, it did not dampen spirits.

“We shall never forget, in regards to the sacrifice some have made that didn’t come home,” MN-S President Glen McCallum said.

“The people that have been recognized in this monument, the names, my uncle’s name is there,” McCallum said.

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The monument is engraved with the names of over 5,000 Métis veterans from across the country.

“There’s a lot of names from across Canada, and today we remember you, we thank you for what you have sacrified,” he said.

The ceremony was live-streamed so people across the province could watch.

The Act of Remembrance was read in Michif by veteran Felix Merasty, in Cree by Elder Josie Searson, and in English by John Belanger.

Wreaths were laid, and there was drumming and fiddle playing.

MN-S also paid tribute to the contribution of Métis women in Canada’s war efforts. MN-S says Métis women played an essential role in some of the country’s most significant battles and many have been decorated for their service.

McCallum told those assembled it was good to see the interest in honoring veterans.

“To be able to see the interest we still all have in regards to Canada, and in how our people, First Nations and Métis, stood up for the right to be free,” he said.

The veterans memorial at Batoche was unveiled in 2014, the result of years of fund-raising, and research into Métis veterans.