Our costumed interpreter walked us around the site which includes a nature trail, museum and various types of residences that the Métis people would have lived in over the years, including trappers’ tents and one room houses.
Also on site are replica York boats and Red River carts used by the Métis to ship furs. Speaking of furs, the staff let you touch a variety of animal hides including beaver, otter, buffalo and skunk. The skunk is surprisingly soft and beaver isn’t as soft as I expected!
The ingenuity of the Métis people amazed me. In one of the historical houses, I saw a very unusual item (see below). It turned out to be a handmade berry picker. The Métis were also very aware of the medicinal value of plants. For instance, they knew the white powder that coats the trunk of an Aspen tree can be used as sunscreen (SPF 15)!
Similarly, Métis customs intrigued me. They believed that sage placed above a baby’s crib protected the baby from evil spirits and that when a Métis sash was placed on the table there was no arguing permitted.
The highlight of the visit came at the end of the tour when Kathy and I were taught how to cook bannock over a fire on a stick. You wrap the dough around the stick and cook it until it sounds hollow (I was skeptical that bread can sound hollow but it actually works). Once the bannock is cooked, you squeeze jam into the opening created by the stick and savour the warm, sweet treat. Mmm. An enjoyable cooking lesson… with a little history thrown in for good measure.
The highlight of the visit came at the end of the tour when Kathy and I were taught how to cook bannock over a fire on a stick. You wrap the dough around the stick and cook it until it sounds hollow (I was skeptical that bread can sound hollow but it actually works). Once the bannock is cooked, you squeeze jam into the opening created by the stick and savour the warm, sweet treat. Mmm. An enjoyable cooking lesson… with a little history thrown in for good measure.
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