Honouring our roots on the Homeland of the Métis
CBC Manitoba invites teachers and students to learn about Rooster Town
Where are you from? The answer to that is an important part of understanding the identity of Métis people. Launched in 2020 as the second season of CBC Manitoba's popular Muddied Water series, host Stephanie Cram threads together the intricate history of the Métis people in Manitoba in the podcast, 1870: Homeland of the Métis.
Leading up to Louis Riel Day, CBC Manitoba is inviting all teachers and students in Manitoba to learn more about the history of the Métis people, from resistance to renaissance. 1870: Homeland of the Métis podcast is available to listen on CBC Listen and everywhere you download your favourite podcasts.
Join our Listening Party
Let's learn together. On Wednesday, February 16, at 10:30 a.m. CT, CBC Manitoba is hosting an exclusive listening party for 1870: Homeland of the Métis podcast for teachers and students grade 8 and up, moderated by CBC Winnipeg News Late Night host Sheila North.
A portion of episode 3, Rooster Town, will be featured, followed by an interview with podcast host Stephanie Cram. Students and teachers will also be encouraged to submit questions in advance for a unique question and answer opportunity with Stephanie. A link to join the listening party will be sent to all registrants prior to the event. The event will last approximately 45 minutes.
The first four classes that sign up for the event will win a CBC Manitoba listening party prize pack that will be sent in advance of February 16.
Rooster Town
Having a strip of land to call home is not just an issue of Indigenous rights, but an important factor in one's connection to community and culture. Rooster Town was a largely Métis community that existed on the southwest outskirts of Winnipeg from 1901 until the late 1950s. In 1959, members of the community were displaced by the City of Winnipeg to make way for commercial and other development.
Did you know? Many of Rooster Town's residents lived either on or near the land now occupied by Grant Park Shopping Centre, Grant Park High School, the Bill and Helen Norrie Library and the Pan Am Pool complex.
In this episode of 1870: Homeland of the Métis, Stephanie connects with Frank Sais, who was a resident of Rooster Town. His testimony is a window into how Métis people built community in Manitoba and how Canada's broken promises continue to impact them today.