Where the Fire Still Burns: Métis Wake Traditions on the Prairies

George George — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 17:55:01 +0000

The first wake that I attended was conducted in a curling rink. It was winter in Saskatchewan, and outside the snowbanks loomed over the cars. Inside, the sacred fire lit in the metal barrel, warming people like moths, while the overhead heaters rattled. At the age of eight, although I did not comprehend death deeply, I grasped the fact that something significant was unfolding that went beyond the memorial of the person we lost. Métis families came from hours away, gathered and brought heart bannock dishes, fiddle tunes, and scrapbooks filled with Polaroids–supplies to last them days. In the Western […]

Source

George George – TalkDeath

Where the Fire Still Burns: Métis Wake Traditions on the Prairies