Estevan had a chance to learn the unique history of Métis people who lived and travelled through the area, when the Estevan Public Library hosted Métis author Cecile Blanke.
Blanke has written a book Lac Pelletier: My Métis Home, which she presented to the audience on Dec. 5.
Blanke resides in Swift Current, but she grew up in nearby Lac Pelletier. Her book, which is paying tribute to people who once called Lac Pelletier their home, was officially released in July. It significantly contributes to the knowledge about Métis history in the region, which remained blank for many years.
“When the history books were made in the district, they didn’t want the Métis history,” said Blanke. “Lac Pelletier was a little village, French village and they didn’t contact them. So our history was eliminated.”
Lac Pelletier settlement was 50 kilometres south of Swift Current and in the 1900s there were about 300 Métis people living along the lake there. At the presentation, Blanke talked about the history of her own family and many other families settling down there, about her experience growing up in the valley and her life when she left the village. She also talked about how the villagers left the settlement due to various reasons and challenges they faced in their lives.
“By 1950 these over 300 Métis that lived in the valley were all gone,” said Blanke. “I thought I had to write about this, I can’t forget about this because it wasn’t included in any book.”
All of it is described in her book, which tells the history that has never been told before.
It took Blanke 12 years to finish it. Her daughter helped her to put it together and then Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research published her work this year. But they went further than that.
“Gabriel Dumont Institute has submitted my book for seven categories for Saskatchewan Book Awards, and that will be in April (2020),” said Blanke.
The audience at the Estevan presentation had a number of questions about Blanke’s life, experience and the book, which can be purchased through the institute’s website. The first 500 books were sold in no time, and she currently has the second order, which is being distributed all across Canada from Newfoundland to Vancouver.
Now when this project is completed, Blanke is thinking about writing another book, which will focus more on her personal story.
