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The Northwest Métis Council Manitoba House is hosting their annual MukTuk Annie festival this weekend in Kinosota.

The event's origins come from the 1970s, and were recently re-introduced a few years ago.

Manitoba House Local chairperson Vicki Campbell says this year's festival begins tomorrow night with a Family Casino Night, followed on Saturday with a pancake breakfast, and then the start of a day full of competitions.

"There is going to be a water-hauling contest, wood-hauling, log-sawing, log-throwing, nail-pounding, and leg wrestling.  We will also have cribbage and whist tournaments, as well as different events late in the afternoon such as a jigging contest, moose, goose, and duck calling, as well as the best liar and the best storyteller.  And, also throughout the night because we are having a dance in the evening, there will also be a contest for the best-dressed Métis."

Sunday will be a Family Day with youth competing with adults in a number of events.

Campbell says the goal of the Festival is to bring everyone together. 

"We will be competing in some contests where the activities are actually things that people had to do every day - like hauling wood and water - that a lot of the youth do not have to do now.  So we just want to bring them back and get them to do some of this stuff and get them away from their devices and just be part of the community."

There is also the traditional MukTuk Annie competition.

This year, there are four men competing, dressed as women, and taking part in events throughout the weekend.