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The Métis are one of Saskatchewan’s founding people and have contributed to Saskatchewan’s social, cultural, economic and political fabric. Métis settlements in what is now Saskatchewan predated the development of an agrarian society by over 100 years. In the Yorkton-Saltcoats region, the Métis peoples are a mixture of Red River fur-trade and bison-hunting families who emigrated to the region from Manitoba after the Red River Resistance (1869-70). This area supported trapping and fur trading economies, providing livelihoods for many families. Skilled Métis trappers gladly shared their knowledge and skills with many early agricultural settlers. The ancestry of Saskatchewan’s Métis is primarily Cree, Saulteaux, French Canadian and Scots-Orcadian; however, many Métis have English, Dene, Dakota, Iroquois, Lakota, Nakota and Dakota roots. Most traditional Métis family names are either of French-Canadian or Celtic-Orcadian origin; however, many Métis now have First Nations, Ukrainian, Scandinavian or German surnames. While the term “métis” means mixed, the Métis see themselves as a distinct Indigenous people, one of three constitutionally recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada under the Constitution Act, 1982, s.35.2, and not merely as an amalgam of different parts. In the oral tradition, as told by Elders, the Métis were a proud and independent people who “owned themselves,” hunted bison, spoke their own Michif language, were stewards of the land, danced and jigged to spirited fiddle rhythms, told stories, had reverence for the elderly and the young, and were deeply religious. Recent local Saltcoats School cultural fairs have seen students celebrating with pride their family’s Métis heritage. Being excluded from Treaty making which would have given them access to land, the Métis became known as the “Road Allowance” people, as many occupied the Crown land between the roads and privately owned land in the early years of settling the area. An oppressive form of land ownership called “scrip” was granted by the Government to the Métis diaspora, but had strict regulations that were difficult for many to meet, resulting in the loss of the scrip land, and the move to the road allowance areas for many. The “Road Allowance” people often eked out a living harvesting Seneca Root and other healing herbs and selling their harvests to local pharmacies. They harvested and sold poplar and aspen fence posts, and provided essential seasonal labour for area farmers. In events leading up to and during the 1885 Louis Riel uprising, there were many tense moments between settlers and small communities and the Métis and First Nations. However, community spirit and the notion of inclusiveness was alive in the first Saltcoats July 1st celebration in 1888 where many First Nations and Métis people participated, adding greatly to the celebratory mood. For a few years their large encampments were located across the lake for the occasion, wagons, red-river carts, teepees and colourful regalia were all part of the day. Métis and First Nations riders excelled with their fast and agile ponies, several were noted for their prowess in running, whether in sprints or long distances. Sadly as assimilation policies restricted Indigenous movements in settler communities, events such as these decreased resulting in an era of division and discrimination. We, as a community, are committed to rebuilding these collegial and collaborative relationships. Adopted and added on to from the University of Saskatchewan Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia “Metis Communities” webpage written by Darren R. Préfontain