CFB Suffield hosts The Hills Are Alive Métis festival

January 31, 2023 - Capt Peter Vere, CFB Suffield

A great marci (thank you) was shared as over a dozen Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield personnel braved wind and rain to join the Métis Nation of Alberta (Local 8) and Miywasin Friendship Centre in erecting eight tipis.

Standing over 16 feet tall, the traditional tipis were in preparation for The Hills Are Alive 2022.

The festival was a four‑day immersive Métis cultural experience in which participants partook in traditional Métis music, dance, storytelling, crafting and food.

CFB Suffield personnel—representing the Canadian Armed Forces, British Army Training Unit Suffield, and Department of National Defence contractors and civilian employees—made their way to Eagles Nest Ranch, located about 70 km south of Medicine Hat, Alta. to help with preparations.

Photos supplied

This is the 15th year that CFB Suffield personnel have collaborated with the local Métis community in the preparation for the annual festival, said The Hills Are Alive co‑ordinator Amy Cross.

“We appreciate it beyond words,” Cross said. “It is an opportunity for us to share our culture and our teachings with the military.

“It is a reciprocal and amazing partnership.”

Master Warrant Officer Garnet Carvery co‑ordinated the effort on behalf of CFB Suffield personnel.

“Our members enjoyed themselves and put a lot of effort into making sure this is a good event,” MWO Carvery said.

Padre (Captain) Matthew Dietz, a British Army chaplain on break from unit exercise at CFB Suffield, concurred the experience was a valuable cultural exchange.

“This is the first time I ever put a tipi together—certainly a big one. It required good teamwork,” Dietz said.

“It is good to understand how [the Métis] would have lived in the field because that’s what we do in the British military. All militaries live in the field,” Dietz said.

The day concluded with a shared lunch between Indigenous organizers and CFB Suffield personnel.



Page details

Date modified: