100 years after eviction, Metis return to Athabasca

It was a journey 100 years in the making.

17 Metis children and teenagers, ranging in age from six to 17, pulled into Jasper on horseback Saturday to mark the return of the Metis people to the national park.

One century after their great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers were driven off of the land and into the Grande Cache area, the children rode up to eight hours a day to retrace those footsteps and return to the park. Greeted by park wardens by the Snake Indian river, the convoy was welcomed everywhere they went, and only had one day of rain on the entire journey.

“This journey, from Grande Cache to Jasper, is one of historical significance,” said Alvin Findlay, president of the Mountain Metis and the brains behind the trip. “It commemorates the same journey from 100 years ago which required us to leave the Athabasca Valley. It’s a story that needs to be told. What happened was unjust and we want the country to know.”

What happened is 100 years ago, the land of the Metis was bought out by Ottawa, shortly after the creation of the boundaries of Jasper National Park. The families had to travel north, leaving their homes behind.

Following many of the same trails their ancestors did, the Metis children, joined by 76 horses and three outdoor outfitter groups, learned the ways of the land. They stopped at many significant sites: Big Graves, Little Graves, Thappe Grave, and erected spirit houses to remember those that died during the initial trip. Big Graves commemorates a blind man who fell off his horse and died during the initial exodus, while Little Graves is the grave site of a baby girl who died en route. The sites were touching for many of the children, who are the direct descendants of the same families.

The journey was an amazing experience, according to 15-year-old Jared Friesen.

“We followed the teachings of our ancestors and stopped at my great grandfather’s old cabin, Louis Delorme. The roof was caved in, but it was still there,” Friesen said. ‘I want to go back.”

The entire convoy and family members from Grande Cache celebrated the trip with a music festival at the Jasper Activity Centre Saturday, Aug. 8. While it was a time for celebration, it was also a time for thanks.

While the journey was important for the young people, it also meant a lot to the elders of the community. Audrey Printop said it’s important for them to learn about their history.

“They can now say that’s my family and I got to do this,” Printop said.

“It was a test to see if they can make the bigger journey of life. We need new and energetic people to become the teachers, doctors and lawyers,” Findlay said.

The journey was also about being proud of one’s heritage, the elders said.

Findlay said it was the contributions of the Metis that opened up the west, and helped David Thompson discover the Pacific Ocean – something that history books overlook. It’s a history he hopes the young people will take from this journey.

Ken Groat, the spokesman for the Mountain Metis, helped organize the event. He said the crew was divided into three, as the cook and stove went ahead of the other groups to set up camp, and the children would show up last.

The journey was of particular importance to him as well, as he got to visit the Moberly homestead – the home of his grandmother. His family has deep ties to the land, and to see the children re-connect was a special experience.

“One of our missions was to fix graves. It was emotional for some. We said a prayer and cut some willows and put a spirit house at the gravesites,” Groat said.

But the children are what amazed him.

“We did 31 miles on the last day and the kids were like little rubber balls,” Groat said. “It was a super trip. The kids got along really well.”

He also said Parks Canada was very co-operative, and he appreciated the support they received.

Greg Slatter, a resource management specialist with Parks Canada, greeted the outfit at Rock Creek, helping organize the facilities.

“It’s been really fun. I’m proud to be a very small part of this very special journey,” Slatter said.

Six documentaries have been produced from the trip, and Findlay said the Metis are in discussions with several networks about when they will air. Findlay said there will be a lasting legacy from the journey, but after 14 days in the wilderness, he’s ready for a rest.

“When’s the next one? In a hundred years I guess.”