Traditional Metis lands at Batoche will provide the location for Dumont Lodge and the Riel Scouts youth program.
It’s all about reconnecting Métis youth to their identity, culture, values, and traditions, according to the President of the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S). Glen McCallum said Batoche is the perfect place to provide that meaningful education.
A special ground blessing ceremony was held April 4 to mark the start of construction of Dumont Lodge, an $8 million-dollar, 18,000-square- foot building, uniquely designed with Métis culture in mind.
The Lodge will sit nestled in the wooded surroundings on the Batoche Festival Grounds, immediately north of the racetrack.
The MN–S project will be funded through a federal partnership with Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP), and Inter-Ministerial cooperation with MN–S Housing and Early Learning and Child Care. Solo Architecture embraced the Métis vision for the design of Dumont Lodge and 3twenty Modular Construction supports the Métis community by offering sub-trade apprenticeships during its building process.
McCallum said the Lodge “sits on historical Métis land grounded in our identity, culture, values and language. It is the appropriate place to remember our history and be able to reconnect with our land through programming with our youth. Métis Nation-Saskatchewan acknowledges our partnerships with other federal and provincial governments and sends gratitude for their contributions.”
Upon completion, one of the main users of the building will be the Riel Scouts.
Led by an advisory board with representation from the north, central, and south regions of the province, the Riel Scouts program will be for young Métis citizens, from five- year-old ‘gophers’ right up to 18-year-old ‘bisons’.
“The hope is to instill pride in our Métis youth, which they can carry into the mentorship/counsellor stage,” said McCallum.
The goal of Riel Scouts is to prepare youth today for tomorrow’s challenges by immersing them in core Métis values, which will contribute to the retention of Métis culture and the Michif language. This program will also contribute to their individual growth, health, and wellness. Details of the Riel Scout program will be announced at a later date.
Every inch of Dumont Lodge will be an educational tool, said McCallum.
“With the guidance of our Elders, everything from traditional Métis framing techniques to windows to floor tiles have been designed to reflect Métis culture.”
There will be room for 64 Riel Scouts to camp overnight plus rooms to house Elders, guests, and staff. The landscaping will include trails through the woods that are home to plants and berries traditionally harvested by Métis.
“The cross-Ministry collaboration involved in Dumont Lodge and the Riel Scouts program has been second-to-none and provides a good example within our government of how these important projects can go from the intial stages to where we are today, an all-encompassing Métis educational and environmental tribute to our identity, culture, values and language that will leave a legacy for generations to come,” said McCallum.
Construction of Dumont Lodge will begin as soon as the ground thaws, with a public grand opening slated for the fall.