Province-wide Métis Kitchen Party Tour making stop in Medicine Hat on Wednesday

The Otipemisiwak Métis Government is bringing its first-ever province-wide Kitchen Party Tour to Medicine Hat this week, with a traditional Métis gathering planned at Kin Coulee Park on Wednesday.

The tour, guided by the spirit of Âstam Pi Kîyoki, meaning “Come and Visit,” is bringing traditional Métis gatherings to communities across Alberta to strengthen connections among Citizens and celebrate the living traditions of Métis culture.

The Medicine Hat region has historical ties to Métis communities, with the South Saskatchewan River serving as a route for fur trade travel through the area during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Many Métis families settled in the region, while others travelled through the area as part of seasonal harvesting, trade and buffalo hunting routes that connected communities across present-day Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana.