Metis share distinct culture

Page 1

An evening rich with culture was presented on Nov. 19 to celebrate the country's Metis people.

Metis in Motion '98, A Historical and Contemporary Performing and Visual Arts Celebration had a number of Metis performing artists sharing their distinctive culture with others.

It proved a rather intimate evening at Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton as singers, dancers and musicians took to the stage.

An opening prayer from Eva Ladouceur was the first order of the evening. Then about 60 or so people got their toes tapping to the music of fiddler Caroline Vongrad and songs by Lance Campeau, Gordie Shaw and John Waniandy.

Herb Wells from Spruce Grove demonstrated the rhythm bones. He is one of the only local players of the instrument.

To further ignite the evening was a lively set by the Billy Joe Green Band who offered up a few blues numbers and the perennial favorite, "Aboriginality" written and sung by Roger Krayshendo.

Also performing was the master of the jig, Vern Boucher, who got the crowd going with an improvised version of the jig as well as a performance of the traditional Red River Jig.

Audrey Poitras, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, brought greetings from the provincial Metis association and congratulated organizers on their role in keeping the culture of the Metis alive through the performing arts. She presented a general and quick overview of the challenges the Metis Nation is facing today and said one of the biggest is "the influx of Metis to urban areas."

Visual artists were also on hand for the evening, including Jackie Fiala, Vi Matula and Michelle McGeough.