History & Culture
a) The Pride of First Nations
While written records of the province only date back to 1690, when Henry Kelsey of the fur-trading Hudson’s Bay Company became the first European to explore the region that is now Saskatchewan, evidence of First Nations history can be traced back 12,000 years.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a National Historic Site, devoted to education, culture and scientific research, that brings to life the history and culture of the Northern Plains people. The 300-acre park, located 5km north of the city of Saskatoon, was established in 1992 as a living memorial to the people who have gathered on the site for over 6,000 years. An archaeological treasure trove, Wanuskewin contains 19 pre-contact sites all clustered within 1km of each other. The name Wanuskewin is a Cree word chosen by Elders to describe the history of this sacred place. Loosely translated, Wanuskewin means “seeking peace of mind” or “living in harmony”.
The First Nations Gallery at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina focuses on the province’s rich Aboriginal heritage. Through realistic dioramas, murals, sculptures, and displays, visitors learn about the art, traditions, and lifestyles of First Nations people.
A beautiful cliff-top setting in southern Saskatchewan holds one of the more fascinating prehistoric mysteries. The St. Victor Petroglyphs are a series of rock carvings that show expressive human faces, hands and feet, grizzly bear and other animal tracks, turtles and various symbolic images. Etched carvings can also be found near Herschel and ochre rock paintings can be found along riverways in northern Saskatchewan’s Canadian Shield.
The history and culture of Saskatchewan’s Metis people also lives on today. Batoche National Historic Site is a good example. Here you can explore Metis history, and learn about Louis Riel and how he led his Metis people in an armed uprising against the Canadian Government in 1885. Metis traditions can be experienced in numerous events throughout Saskatchewan including canoeing contests, strong man competitions and King Trapper events.
Contacts:
Wanuskewin Heritage Park,
RR #4, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7K 3J7
Phone: (306) 931-6767
Fax: (306) 931-4522
Website: www.wanuskewin.com
Royal Saskatchewan Museum,
2445 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 3V7
Phone: (306) 787-2850
Fax: (306) 787-2820
Website: www.royalsaskmuseum.ca
Batoche National Historic Site,
Box 999, Rosthern, Saskatchewan, S0K 3R0
Phone: (306) 423-6227
Fax: (306) 423-5400
Website: www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/sk/batoche
b) Home of the Mounted Police
The early years of post-contact history in Saskatchewan is intimately tied to the world famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In July, 1874, 275 recruits of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP), as they were then called, were dispatched from Manitoba on an epic march west to establish law and order in the North West.
Today, mounted police history can be tracked all across Saskatchewan. A number of early Mounted Police posts in the province have been brought back to life as historic sites. Fort Walsh, now a national historic site in the Cypress Hills in southwestern Saskatchewan, was established in 1875 to ensure peaceful settlement and to control illegal whiskey trading. East of Fort Walsh, near the U.S. border, Wood Mountain Post, now a provincial historic site, tells the story of Major James Walsh of the NWMP and how he negotiated with Sioux Chief Sitting Bull, who brought 5,000 followers across the “medicine line” after the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.
To the north is Fort Battleford National Historic Site, where the story of life and events at a NWMP post is told, along with the major role the fort played in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885.
In Regina, the RCMP Centennial Musuem, located at the RCMP’s national Training Academy, offers a complete look at the background and work of the force. Each year, thousands of visitors pore over the relics, photographs, and memorabilia that make the museum a gold mine of historical artifacts. An RCMP National Heritage Centre, currently under development, will include over 50,000 square feet of fascinating exhibits when complete.
Contacts:
RCMP Heritage Centre
5907 Dewdney Ave, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 0P4
Phone: (306) 522-7333
Website: www.rcmpheritagecentre.com
Fort Walsh National Historic Site,
PO Box 278, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, S0N 1N0
Phone: (306) 662-5272
Fax: (306) 662-2711
TTY: (306) 662-3124
Website: www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/sk/walsh
Fort Battleford National Historic Site,
Box 70, Battleford, Saskatchewan, S0M 0E0
Phone: (306) 937-2621
Fax: (306) 937-3370
TTY: (306) 937-3199
Website: www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/sk/battleford
c) Museums Galore
Saskatchewan became a province in 1905, with Regina as its capital. The following decades were prosperous for settlers, but in the 1930’s disaster struck. Saskatchewan was hit hard by, not only the worldwide depression, but also a decade of drought and crop failure.
The dreams and struggles of Saskatchewan people are recaptured in museums across the province. Some 250 museums hold more than 5 million objects in trust. Four of the finest halls of history in the province are the Western Development Museum (WDM) branches found in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, and North Battleford. Each offers a tribute to Saskatchewan’s pioneers, their indomitable spirit and tenacity, and their ability to work together even in the toughest of times. Themes explored include transportation, people and agriculture.
Small-town museums abound, and provide insights into everything from Aboriginal culture, settlement and agricultural history and pioneer life, to more unusual topics. In Moose Jaw, visit an ocean-going vessel that never knew water, built by one settler in the middle of the prairie, view the extensive silver collection of a Weyburn area farmer, or see an impressive array of toys and celebrity autographs in Canora.
Contact:
Western Development Museum,
2935 Melville St, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7J 5A6
Phone: (306) 934-1400 Fax: (306) 934-4467
Website: www.wdm.ca
Museums Association of Saskatchewan (Regina)
Phone: (306) 780-9279
Website: www.saskmuseums.org
d) Fabulous Fossils
Saskatchewan attractions will take you back even further in time. In Regina, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s Earth Sciences Gallery looks at forces that molded the province over two billion years ago when Saskatchewan was a very different place: a land of tropical forests, mountains and volcanoes; a place that was once a vast inland sea. Dinosaurs and other huge beasts of the past figure prominently in this gallery – Saskatchewan has incredibly rich fossil resources.
The ruggedly beautiful Frenchman River Valley near Eastend in the southwest corner of the province has long been considered a “supermarket of dinosaur bones”, and now you can get a close-up view of palaeontology work in progress at the T.rex Discovery Centre. In addition to learning more about “Scotty” the Tyrannosaurus rex, whose fossilized remains were found in the area, visit dig sites and try searching for fossils yourself!
At the Pasquia Palaeontological Site near Arborfield in east-central Saskatchewan, visitors can take a walk back in time on a scenic nature trail along the Carrot River to where the “Big Bert” Crocodilian fossil was found imbedded in shale. The shale here also exposes many other marine-like fossils, such as fish, shark’s teeth, plesiosaurs, and turtles, from 92 million years ago.
Contact:
Eastend Community Tourism Authority Inc.
Box 520, Eastend, Saskatchewan, S0N 0T0
Phone: (306) 295-4009
Fax: (306) 295-4702
Website: www.dinocountry.com
e) Saskatchewan’s Multi-Cultural Heritage
Today, Saskatchewan boasts a rich and colourful multi-cultural heritage. Multicultural festivals and celebrations paying tribute to ethnic groups help keep alive the time-honoured traditions, customs and languages which immigrants brought from their homeland.
Two of Saskatchewan’s largest multi-cultural events are Regina’s Mosaic and Saskatoon’s Folkfest. The National Doukhobour Heritage Village near Veregin, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada and the Vesna Festival, in Saskatoon, Cannington Manor Provincial Historic Park, Humboldt Oktoberfest, and La Fete Fransaskoise at Bellegarde are among the many events and attractions showcasing and paying tribute to the traditions of specific ethnic groups.
A comprehensive list of Saskatchewan events can be found on Tourism Saskatchewan’s website. Click here to search our events database.
f) Handmade Treasures
Saskatchewan’s artistic climate has helped the careers of an extraordinary number of visual artists and craftspeople, many of whom have won high international acclaim. The list is impressive and includes: Joe Fafard and Victor Cicansky (sculptors) Jack Sures (ceramist), Folmer Hanson (potter), Michael Hosaluk (designer/craftsman), William Hazzard (wood carver), Kaija Sanelma Harris and Ann Newdigate Mills (weavers) Dorothy Knowles, David Thauberger, Allen Sapp and Michael Lonechild (painters).
Dozens of other successful artists and craftspeople proudly ply their creative talents in the province and are helping to make Saskatchewan’s many art galleries, craft shops, gift shops and handcraft festivals strong drawing cards for visitors.
