Métis culture has been linked to the Fur Trade in Ile a la Crosse this history extends back to the 1770’s.
Indeed, many family names now common to the community of Ile a la Crosse can be traced back to workers of the various fur trade companies that ran their commercial operations for the past two hundred years. Presently, the people of Ile a la Crosse number around 2000, many of whom are the direct ancestors of the voyageurs, Métis settlers from Red River and Batoche (late 1880’s), as well as Euro-Canadian settlers (1930’s). Many of the people are employed by “living off the land” – some in a traditional manner – hunting, fishing, trapping, others in not so traditional manner – lumbering, tourism, wild rice harvesting, and other commercial ventures. Ile a la Crosse maintains many government services found across the province – a school system that extends from preschool to grade 12 with adult education and some college courses being available through Northlands College, a eight bed hospital, a RCMP station, Village Office, Sask. Housing, Volunteer Fire Brigade, and a Catholic church. Most people live in two to three bedroom bungalows or split levels that they either built for themselves or are renting them from Sask. Housing.
Life in Ile a la Crosse centres around the lake and the forest. Winter pursuits include snaring, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice fishing. In the summer swimming, boating, berry picking, camping and fishing are part of everyday life. Across the lake is a common weekend destination and many families return to where kokum and mushroom lived as children.
Most Métis families still retain some traditional approaches to life when dealing with its modern complexities. For example, traditional herbal medicine and a holistic-family-patient approach are often used in combination with western medical science. When dealing with resources, knowledge or wealth, people consistently use sharing principles that were always in place in the north. For example, food gained from hunting and fishing parties are shared with elders and relatives in the community, and family members pass on traditional knowledge in these pursuits to their children. Many of the northern beliefs, sweats for example, have been accepted within the Judeo-Christian belief system that was brought to the community by the Catholic missionaries.