Culture of Saskatchewan

First Nations and fur traders adopted a transhumance and hunting and gathering lifestyle to fulfill their economic and sustenance needs.

This commission noted the strengths and weakness of the cultural community and led to the establishment of the Canada Council which promoted burgeoning talent.

[5] The Saskatchewan lifestyle and culture was inter-related with and depended on the ethnic bloc settlement, geo-physical area and rural or urban community.

Ethnic block settlements of this early time concentrated on developing their agricultural methods, and then establishing churches and schooling.

[7][8] Northern Saskatchewan is home to the Dene and archaeological findings such as the aboriginal rock paintings of the Churchill River, petroglyphs as well as history of early trading posts such as Stanley Mission.

[9] Near the northern tree line, and the main economic industry of fur trapping were the fastest-growing trading posts and early settlements such as Prince Albert.

Among the First Nations, the 49th parallel north was nicknamed the Medicine Line because of its seemingly magical ability to prevent U.S. soldiers from crossing it.

[10] The rise of the Cypress Hills massacre, bootlegging activities, outlaws and gangsters outrunning the United States law gave rise to new fort outposts such as Fort Walsh,[11] and North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) barracks, the history of which is recounted at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Centennial Museum.

The Dominion government and CPR examined the report given by John Macoun, botanist to the 1872 Sandford Fleming railway route expedition.

[13] Settlement could be established under the safety of the NWMP and this new promise of agricultural colonization, so constructing a southern transcontinental railway helped maintain the Canadian identity near the 49th parallel, which was under encroachment by the American expansionists.

Regina attained national prominence in 1885 during the North-West Rebellion despite the fact that the Canadian Pacific Railway had still only reached the formerly designated territorial headquarters of Troy (Qu'Appelle) 48 km (30 mi) to the east.

[16] The improvements needed to acquire the land were labour-intensive, and settlers farmed in family groups or ethnic bloc settlements of the same language to assist one another.

Saskatoon developed around the arrival of the three major rail lines becoming the central hub city[21] for supplies both to Alberta (west) and Manitoba (east) but also to industry north and south.

The depression and drought years of the dirty thirties brought folks beset by agricultural hardships to the cities for a dire hope of employment.

The supply of workers increased for tertiary employment sector such as transportation, trade, finance and services which were mainly based in urban centres.

The "Socialisti", "Red Devils/Ghosts", "West Country", or the "Coteau Hills Finnish Socialist Society" settled around 1923 in the Steeldale district of Saskatchewan.

[26] The Dominion Drama Festival which showcased a national competition amongst Canadian amateur theatre groups was held in Regina in the mid-1950s.

[28] Augustus Kenderdine, Inglis Sheldon-Williams, Illingworth Kerr, James Henderson, Ernest Lindner, Jan Wyers, Dorothy Knowles, Reta Cowley and William Perehudoff are all well known and acclaimed Saskatchewan artists.

Joe Fafard, Jack Sures, and Vic Cicansky make ceramics and sculpture their visual art form media.

James Sinclair Ross, W. O. Mitchell, Lorna Crozier, Anne Szumigalski, Candace Savage and Robert Kroetsch, are Saskatchewan's literary artists.

Charles Gordon (nom de plume, Ralph Connor), Robert Stead, Frederick Philip Grove, Wallace Stegner, R.D.

(Bob) Symons, Edward McCourt, Lorna Crozier, Bonnie Burnard, David Carpenter, Don Kerr, Byrna Barclay, Glen Sorestad, Gertrude Story,[31] Maria Campbell, Sharon Butala, Guy Vanderhaege, Brenda Baker, Art Slade, Alice Kuipers, Dave Margoshes, and Chris Fisher have also contributed to the Saskatchewan literary scene.

Famous Saskatchewan novelists would be Ken Mitchell, Gary Hyland, Robert Currie, Geoffrey Ursell and Barbara Sapergia to mention a few.

He was joined by Allen Sapp, painter from the Red Pheasant Reserve who also includes Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and an Officer of the Order of Canada awards.

[33] There have been other Saskatchewan artists who have been honoured with the Governor General's Literary Awards such as Lorna Crozier (Swift Current), Inventing the Hawk, John Newlove (Regina), The Cave and Lies, Fred Wah (born in Swift Current), Waiting for Saskatchewan, Diana Wieler (Saskatoon), Bad Boy, and Rudy Wiebe, The Temptation of Big Bear and A Discovery of Strangers.

[35][36] Nicholas Flood Davin founded the Regina Leader in Assiniboia Provisional District, North-West Territories, as early as 1883.

A very few of these would be: Joni Mitchell, Chris Real, Connie Kaldor, Stu Davis, Don Freed, Colin James, Jack Semple, Brad Johner and the band of Jason Plumb and the Willing.

The largest of these comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibited), a trade fair and other competitions and entertainment which have been popular throughout the history of Saskatchewan.

Bannock is easy to prepare and combine with local berries, the dough can be cooked over the open fire suspended on willow stick, and tastes similar to biscuits.

Each ethnic group has brought their unique flavour and recipes to Saskatchewan, and these are celebrated today in Folk Festivals across the province.