Rediscover Your Roots at Métis Crossing

Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of the Métis people at Métis Crossing in Smoky Lake County, Alberta. This living history museum brings to life the heritage of the distinct Indigenous ethnicity that blends First Nations and European ancestries. You can rediscover your roots at Métis Crossing.

Spanning a spacious 800 acres along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, Métis Crossing spotlights the resilient lifeways of Plains Métis through a reconstructed 19th-century riverside settlement.

Wander along the wooden boardwalks past traditionally crafted tipis, log cabins, Red River carts, and artifacts. Costumed interpreters demonstrate intricate ancestral finger weaving, hide tanning, floral beadwork, and fiddling while sharing tales that let you peek into daily life and memorable events like buffalo hunts, winter camp, the fur trade era, and the distinct Metis music and dance traditions that blend influences. Ask questions and touch materials to deepen your insight into the Creole language, Michif, and resourceful innovations adapted to the northern plains.

The annual Back to Batoche Festival each July features Athabascan and jigging dance performances, traditional Metis sports like “stick game” and “hoop-and-pole,” samples of bannock, pemmican, and barbecue cuisine, along with reenactments of the 1885 Battle of Batoche that helped cement Metis symbolism.

Peruse vendors selling handcrafted powwow regalia, moccasins, leatherwork, and floral bead creations while fiddlers play the Red River Jig and lively country music into the night around a crackling firepit.

While small-town Smoky Lake is under an hour’s drive, hillside campsites and cozy B&B-style cottages at Métis Crossing provide an opportunity to extend your stay in the forests and waters of Métis country.

Are you ready to rediscover your roots at Métis Crossing? With guided cultural tours, hands-on workshops like beading and cooking, stories around the bonfire, and tales from Elders whose families still live on these ancestral grounds, Métis Crossing offers an unforgettable chance to walk a mile in your Métis moccasins.