MNO citizens greeting Prince Edward at Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons
MNO citizens in traditional Métis garb waiting to meet the Royal Couple (l-r)
Scott Carpetner, Britney Chapman, Karly Chapman, Ruth Quesnelle
and Alexis Chapman
On September 16, their Royal Highnesses the Earl and Countess of Wessex, better known as Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, arrived at Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons, a nationally significant historic site near Midland, Ontario. President Michael Duquette of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Georgian Bay Métis Council welcomed the Royal Guests to the site along with Beausoleil First Nation Chief, Roland (Roly) Monague.
MNO citizens were on hand to greet the Royal Couple and offer gifts that included Métis sashes and Métis Education kits. When presented with the Education Kits, the Prince joked, “Oh, you are giving me some homework.”
The Royal Couple spoke to everyone in the Métis contingent and were very interested in Métis culture and heritage. Besides President Duquette, among those attending who met the Prince were Provisional Council of the MNO (PCMNO) Region 7 Councillor, Pauline Saulnier; Senator Dora MacInnis, Métis Nation of Ontario Veterans’ Council (MNOVC) Sgt-at-Arms, Greg Garratt; Danielle Secord, and, MNO Projects and Partnerships Manager, Scott Carpenter.
The couple also learned about moose-hair tufting, a traditional First Nations’ craft, and lacrosse, Canada’s original sport. The pageantry and colour of singing, drumming, and dancing filled the air as the Red Spirit Circle Drum Group, the Christian Island Hand Drum Group, and the Kwiikikwe Métis Women’s Drum Group performed. The Earl and Countess completed their tour with a visit to the candle-lit Church of Saint-Joseph.