After 100 years of banishment the Mountain Metis are returning to Jasper National Park.

Forty descendants of the original Metis evicted from Jasper National Park are planning to return this summer as part of a historic trip marking the anniversary of their banishment, beginning on July 27.

“Our people need to know their history and we need to let the world know the treatment we as Metis received at that time,” said Mountain Metis president Alvin Findlay, who noted the Metis helped open up the paths north of Jasper National Park

“Our contribution to opening this part of the world hasn’t been acknowledged.”

One hundred years ago, the Mountain Metis were forced to migrate out of the Athabasca Valley, when J.J Maclaggan came from Ottawa and bought out the claims of the residents there. The Metis were operating as trappers in the area at that time, and opened up several trade routes in the area.

The 14-day trip will work its way from Grand Cache, across the northern border of the park, down the Snake Indian Valley to Moberly, and finally into Jasper. It is the same route the Metis were forced to used when they were evicted from the park. Food caches will be dropped at Rock Lake to help replenish the large group, which is planning to use 70 horses as part of the journey.

“It will be mountainous, but it will be a good journey,” said Findlay. 

Findlay has worked with troubled aboriginal youth in the Grande Cache area in the past, teaching them many historic practises about living with the land. He said youth are transformed by these backcountry experiences, and he’s seen the positive effects of such journeys. 

“It started as a homework program. There was a high truancy rate and Family and Children’s Social Services and the RCMP asked us to step in,” Findlay said. “If the youth are troubled, they go into the bush and there is a connection they make with the land and the horse. There’s a healing that goes on.”

The connection has worked in the Grande Cache community, Findlay said, where the youth crime rate has dropped to less than one per cent.

“The youth are changed. The kids look after their own horse.”

The crew has been working with Parks Canada to help organize the trip. Parks prohibits groups larger than 38 from travelling through the park, given the impact upon trails and vegetation. Since the trip will require 70 horses, Findlay said they could break them up into smaller groups to reduce the impact.

“This is a wonderful initiative that will help connect aboriginal people with the land and help celebrate the history of the park,” said Sean Nardella, spokesman with Jasper National Park. “We’re currently in discussions to make sure the group works within the established limits of horse groups.... we’re working to make sure the limit of 38 is adhered to.”

Nardella said the limit is imposed to limit the impact on trails and trail users. He said he didn’t think there was a campground large enough in the back country to hold that large a group.

Findlay said the crews are working with three outfitter groups to hit that limit, but noted ‘Parks didn’t have a limit when they kicked us out.”

A film crew will also accompany the group, which will produce six, 24-minute documentaries for a television series to air.

The event will end with a final meeting on August 8 at the Jasper Activity Centre, which will include a variety of entertainment as part of the Mountain Music festival.