Back To Batoche will go virtual with recorded music, dance competitions

SASKATOON -- Due to COVID-19, Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) has postponed the 50th anniversary Back to Batoche celebrations until 2021.

In place of a physical gathering, MN-S turned to Canadian Geographic to help welcome people together online for Back to Batoche in 2020, according to a news release.

The event will celebrate Métis culture and history with music, dance, and education.

There are also competitions in jigging, fiddling and square dancing, where competitors can upload videos and compete.

"We are each woven into our Métis culture like the threads of a sash; different colours, different patterns. But one thing remains the same in a Métis’ heart - when the Métis hear the sound of the fiddle, our feet start tapping, our hands start clapping, our hearts beat together in true Métis spirit," Batoche Minister Sherry McLennan said.

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.