Celebrating Métis Week 2025 and Honouring the Legacy of Louis Riel
Métis Week 2025 will take place from November 15–22, 2025, with Louis Riel Day observed on November 16. This week is a time to celebrate the rich culture, language, and heritage of Métis people and recognize the contributions of Métis people across Canada.
It is also a time to honour Louis Riel, a Métis leader and advocate whose legacy continues to shape conversations around self-determination, identity, and Indigenous governance.
For educators, Métis Week presents an opportunity to introduce Métis stories, perspectives, and achievements into the classroom, helping learners understand the unique history, identity, and resilience of the Métis Nation.
To support classroom learning during Métis Week 2025, we’ve curated a collection of free, classroom-ready resources that highlight Métis voices and experiences. These materials help educators introduce Métis history, culture, and identity in meaningful and age-appropriate ways.
Classroom Resources for Métis Week 2025
- Celebrating Métis Week in your Classroom (Blog Post) – Written for educators, this post explores ways to deepen understanding of Métis history and culture. It offers a variety of ideas and resources to help teachers bring Métis perspectives into their classrooms—both during Métis Week and throughout the school year.
- Who are the Métis? People, Land, and Culture (Resource Kit) – This resource kit introduces learners in grades 4-5 to key aspects of Métis identity, including language, land, symbols, and important figures. Students will create story cards to represent what they’ve learned and use them to design a scene that shares their understanding of Métis culture.
- Louis Riel, the Red River Resistance, and Beyond (Resource Kit) – Designed for older learners (grades 6–12), this resource kit includes extension activities that deepen understanding of Métis identity, Louis Riel’s leadership, and the Red River Resistance. Through critical reflection and discussion, students examine how these historical events relate to contemporary Métis experiences.
- Rupertsland Institute – Métis Week Resources – Find Métis-developed learning materials, printables, and activities for various grade levels from the Métis Centre of Excellence.
- Otipemisiwak Métis Government – Métis Week Events – Explore community events, commemorations, and activities taking place across Alberta and beyond.
These resources can support educators in creating learning experiences that honour Métis voices and histories while deepening students’ understanding of Indigenous diversity and governance in Canada.
Why Teach About Métis Week and Louis Riel Day
Métis Week and Louis Riel Day remind us that understanding Métis history is essential to understanding Canada’s history. Bringing these lessons into the classroom enables learners to explore topics such as identity, resistance, self-government, and cultural continuity through Métis perspectives.
When we teach about Louis Riel and the Métis Nation, we not only recognize the past but also celebrate the strength, pride, and living cultures of Métis communities today.
