Manitoba Metis Federation dedicates maker at Fort Ellice site
October 24, 2022, 11:02 am
Sierra D’Souza Butts
The Manitoba Métis Federation has dedicated a monument at the site of Fort Ellice near St. Lazare.
The community of St. Lazare, RM of Ellice-Archie, and representatives of Métis Manitoba Federation (MMF) and Nature Conservancy of Canada showed their support for the unveiling of the historical marking.
“This monument has been in progress for a long time and it’s here today because of our elders,” said Terry Haney president of Métis Manitoba Federation (MMF) Fort Ellice.
“It was Jacob Beads that built this Fort Ellice, he was a Métis carpenter. Our Métis, European ancestors, would speak English, French, speak the Ojibwe language and Michif language.
“We were scouts, we were guides, we traded at the forts where we would trade buffalo, and lots of our people were born here. Their birth certificates say Fort Ellice.
“Twenty-years ago the RM of Ellice-Archie and the councillors tried to expropriate this site and it didn’t go well, it started to cost a lot of money.
“Nature Conservancy of Canada bought it, they preserved the grassland and historical sites and the history behind it. It was a struggle, but we now have our whole community helping us to showcase our heritage.
“This is a big Métis community. St. Lazare started off with a mission, a Métis mission, and then it grew into a town and still today, the majority of the people are Métis. A lot of them are coming out now, but they wouldn’t come out before because of the prejudice.”
At the grand opening for the unveiling of the monument October 18, Haney read out what the monument states.
The monument reads, “This monument is to commemorate the Métis people of Canada and their significant and historical contributions to the Fort Ellice and other forts across Western Canada.
“The Métis were scouts, guides, buffalo hunters, translators who literally built Fort Ellice. Many were born here.
“May history never forget this Métis nation.”
The statement is also in the Michif language and French on the stone.
At the opening, a representative from MMF Southwest Region, Prairie Mountain RCMP and the principal of St. Lazare spoke about what the marking of the monument means for the community.
“Our history as Métis people hasn’t always been positive, but I would say in the last few decades here, things are starting to turn around,” said Will Goodon, Minister of Housing and Property Management for MMF Southwest Region.
“I’m honored to be here. You look at this area here, it symbolizes when we were the power here on the Prairies, the Métis nation. We hunted, we traded, we had allies with the First Nations communities around here and it was us. We carried the day around here.
“Then when things were bad, when Canada came and took our land and didn’t complete its promises, there was that dark period and I think that’s what we can see symbolized here.
“But, now we see us coming out of that dark period where the Métis are proud. Our flag is everywhere, I love coming to St. Lazare and seeing the flag at the school, at the RM, everywhere we go.
“That pride is there, we don’t have to hide anymore, we don’t have to say we’re not who we are, we can stand up and hold ourselves with this feeling that we belong.
“That this is our land, that we joined Confederation, we joined Canada and we are partners.”
“I just want to say that I’m honored to be here, thank you Terry,” said Goodon.
“Terry talked to me about this about five years ago. He had this idea and once Terry gets a hold of something, he doesn’t let go. I really appreciate that about him and him building all the networks necessary to make this happen.
“Great to see the school here, great to see all the community folks here. Thank you again, I just appreciate being here with all my heart, and this monument is just the beginning.
“I know there’s more coming down the pipe for Fort Ellice and the Manitoba Métis Federation will be there to support every step of the way. Thanks very much.”
Students and teachers from École Saint-Lazare attended the opening to show their support for the Métis marking.
“Fort Ellice was also a place that had an interest in agricultural activities, hunting, gardening, harvesting, and cattle and horse breeding were daily chores around the fort,” said Richard Fiola, principal of École Saint-Lazare.
“Today we add another point of interest for the visitors that come to the fort. For the past two years, the CDC P’tite Fourche has been working on a touristic project.
“Next spring we will see kiosks installed all around the snow shoe trail on this site. We’ll be having a special roundabout here for people to see. Next year when you come back for a visit, panels and metal sculptures of the history of Fort Ellice will be installed.”
At the site, there are also two other monuments, a commemorative plaque that was placed by Hudson’s Bay Company in 1930 to mark the 100th anniversary of Fort Ellice.
“We are now standing on the commemoration zone, it will be the welcoming zone right here. For the First Nations, you will see 14 stones which represent the 14 poles of a tipi,” said Fiola.
“That is part of the First Nation commemoration. We have in the back the cairn that was placed in 1930 by Hudson’s Bay Company here in Fort Ellice.
“Today, we are unveilling the monument of the MMF. All together, Hudson’s Bay, First Nations, and Métis people come together today for this opening ceremony.
“Thanks to you all for being here, and we’re glad to part of the project with you all.”
Prairie Mountain RCMP also spoke at the dedication ceremony.
“I can’t say enough as to how much the community has opened up their arms and welcomed us to this part of our country,” said S/Sgt. Matt Lavallee of Prairie Mountain RCMP.
“We’re very proud to have myself and Brett Church involved in the reconciliation activities. I just want to say too, that I’m very pleased and proud that the RCMP is committed to moving forward with this initiative.
“Together I think we can make a difference. Brett and I can’t say enough how much we want to thank you folks for having us down in your community. Thank you.”
At the ceremony, Haney stated that the MMF Southwest Region has a strong partnership with the council and municipality of Ellice-Archie.
“I bring greetings from the municipality of Ellice-Archie,” said Barry Lowes, Reeve of RM of Ellice-Archie.
“I know I was involved in a meeting that was probably 20 years ago with this dream to try to make something happen up here. I commemorate with all the Métis federation, the CDC and the Nature Conservancy for their co-operation and it’s finally coming to fruition.
“It was a long slow process, but it’s going to be very nice when it’s finished. Thank you guys you’re doing a good job.”
NCC representative Tim Gompf also stated a few words.
“This site here is going to be very special. Nature Conservancy of Canada is a nature based biodiversity organization,” said Gompf.
“If you look around we would like to keep this property as natural and pure as it can be. We would like to keep it as is for future generations.
“These kids that are all sitting down here, someday they’re going to be the ones that will be looking after this land.
“Like Terry and Richard said, we started on this project two years ago at a small meeting in town and at the time we weren’t sure where things were going to go, but over the last two years this project has morphed into something that I think is going to be really nice when it’s all finished.
“This is the first step right here, getting the Métis plaque and rock set up and unveilled. The rest of the kiosks go up in the next six or eight months, and next spring we’ll have another grand opening of the whole site.”
Haney thanked the community for coming out.
“First I would like to thank NCC for giving us this opportunity. I would like to thank our nice Prairie Mountain Mountie friends here, and Martin Dupont. He was a big part in putting in the plaques, and Russell Redi-Mix Concrete,” he said.
“I’d also like to thank our business communities because they’ve been there when we needed them and St. Lazare in general, we have a good working relationship with the RM of Ellie-Archie.
“We can’t forget our elders. They’ve always made the example of the snow being this deep, and somebody having to walk through it first so it wouldn’t be as deep for the next generations.
“They had to bear lots of racism in the past and faced a lot of difficult issues, but they prevailed.
“We have our youth here today, our elders are going to pass all their knowledge to the youth and they are the ones who are going to take the lead, which I hope continues down the future.”
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