Métis history celebrated on Louis Riel Day

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This article was published 18/02/2025 (226 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a lively atmosphere during Brandon’s celebration of Louis Riel Day on Monday, with Métis music that brought two-steppers to the dance floor, free chili and Bannock in the canteen, and face painting and crafts in the kids’ zone.

The afternoon’s activities were held at the Manitoba Métis Federation’s (MMF) southwest region’s auditorium at 656 Sixth St.

As Chelsea Pakulak watched her eight-year-old daughter Coraline share crayons and colour with the other children, she said being together with other Métis people, “pulls at your heart.”

“It was during COVID that we did the research and reclaimed our history,” said Pakulak adding, “my grandmother — my kokum, she always knew the history, but we didn’t.

“And the history of Métis people is that we didn’t really have communities, and if we did have them, they were taken away. So now we’ve connected with other members, as well as those who came before us,” she said.

Dancing with her 87-year-old grandmother Madeleine was Jessica Genaille. She drove her mom and grandmother from Regina, Sask., specifically for the Brandon celebration and to support the five-member band called Nite Life, which had three musicians who were relations.

“We’ve always been proud of our heritage, we knew we were Métis, but to know the extent of it is just such a privilege,” Genaille said.

Over the last couple of years, Genaille has visited the Westman communities of St. Lazare, Birtle, and the Metis Community of Ste. Madeleine, which burned to the ground in 1939 and displaced many Métis citizens. Her grandfather was one of those residents.

“And my great grandma was in residential school in Lebret (70 kilometresw northeast of Regina), but she never talked about it, so a lot of that information died with her,” said Genaille.

“I’ve been doing more and more research to find out where our roots are — and it’s been an amazing journey.

“We knew we couldn’t rest until we knew everything,” she said.

The stories passed down from generation to generation are what will keep the Métis heritage and culture alive said Will Goodon, MMF Housing Minister.

He grew up in the Turtle Mountain area, and said his dad taught him how to hunt, fish, trap and pick berries – “how to respect and live in the bush.”

“When my dad was a young kid, they lived out in the bush and would take the horse and wagon into town,” Goodon said.

“Town kids would chase them around, call them dirty half breeds and other names, but he would say ‘No, we’re French’ because they spoke Michif.

“So, when he was raising me, he told me, ‘Be proud of who you are, we’re not going to be ashamed of who we are.’

“And we don’t want that to happen again, especially because Louis Riel was once considered a traitor,” said Goodon.

Louis Riel was born in St. Boniface in 1844. At the age of 25, the Métis leader formed a militia in response to the Government of Canada’s plans to proclaim its sovereignty over Hudson’s Bay Company lands.

During the Red River Resistance from 1869 to 1870, Riel became head of Manitoba’s first government. He helped draft and pass a bill of rights and negotiated the 1870 Manitoba Act and entry of the province into Confederation.

Riel took a leading part in the North-West Resistance, which lasted from 1884 to 1885. After the rebellion was suppressed by federal forces, Riel was imprisoned in Regina and charged with high treason.

He was convicted and executed when he was 41 years old.

The first Louis Riel Day was observed in Manitoba in 2008, proclaimed by former NDP premier Gary Doer.

In December 2023, the first new bill that was passed under Manitoba’s newly elected NDP Premier Wab Kinew was Bill 2, the Louis Riel Act, recognizing the Métis leader as Manitoba’s first premier.

While Louis Riel Day celebrations carried on at the MMF building in Brandon, Kinew released a statement about Manitoba’s first premier and the importance of reflecting on the contributions he made.

“Louis Riel is the reason I speak French, the reason I get to serve as premier and the reason we are all Manitobans,” Kinew said.

“For generations, Red River Métis people in Manitoba have fought for recognition, dignity and respect in our province.

“Our government was proud to introduce legislation to officially recognize Riel as Manitoba’s first premier, as Riel’s leadership forever changed the shape of Canada,” Kinew said in the statement.

There’s been a renewed sense of pride with Métis people, said NDP MLA Glen Simard as he addressed the crowd in Brandon.

Simard is minister of municipal and northern relations, as well as the minister responsible for francophone affairs and the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation.

“My boys are Métis citizens, as is my wife,” Simard said. “I’m not, but I come from a Métis community.

“Knowing your roots, your connection to your culture is extremely important for self-worth and for identity, and the more that we can give kids those opportunities the better, whether they’re Ukrainian or Russian, Spanish or Métis,” Simard said.

Simard and Goodon visited with others in the kids’ zone, which prompted Goodon to comment on their future.

“These kids are colouring and they’re talking about fun stuff, but they’re learning about Louis Riel and listening to Métis music. And this is going to stick with them,” Goodon said.

“Maybe next year they’ll be a bit more interested. You never know who’s going to be president of the MMF someday. They could be sitting right here. So, that’s why they need to know who they are.”

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