City of Lethbridge says Tan’si to Métis week

​Today marks the beginning of Métis week and to celebrate the occasion, the City of Lethbridge helped introduce a new word into the community vocabulary, Tan'si.

Tan'si is a Métis greeting in the Michif language which translates to hello in English. Mayor, Blaine Hyggen, says promoting the Michif language helps to promote the Métis culture within the city.

"We're so fortunate to have a diverse make-up of many different cultures within our city and today is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the Métis people who call Lethbridge home."

The Lethbridge Local Métis President, Dr. Adam Browning, says today provides an opportunity to celebrate the history and contributions of the Metis people.

"The Michif language is integral to our identity as Métis peoples.  On behalf of the over 2,200 Métis peoples who live in Lethbridge, we appreciate the City of Lethbridge Council taking steps to celebrate and include our language and culture.  Marsii (thank you)."

As part of the partnership between the City and the Métis Local, buttons, stickers and postcards featuring the word Tan'si are available from the Métis Local office, along with information about how to be conversational in Michif.

For information on events and other celebrations, head to the Métis Local Facebook page.