Metis Week holds excitment for all ages

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Metis Week, Nov. 12 to18, proved a beehive of activity as Metis organizations, services and individuals hosted open houses and activities that demonstrated Metis culture is alive and well.

The week started off with a mass at St. Margaret?s Church, east of Sherwood Park along Range Road 203. Father Laboucane announced that the church and cemetery have been purchased by the Metis Nation of Alberta.

The second day began with a formal declaration of Metis Week by the Mayor of Edmonton, Bill Smith, and the raising of the Metis flag at City Hall.

Coinciding with all this was the annual Nechi Institute?s "Sober Walk" from City Hall to Sacred Heart Church.

Throughout the week, there were open houses at the Metis Settlements General Council, Blackstar Learning Centre Inc., ACES Employment Centre and Apeetogosan Development, Edmonton Metis Cultural Dance Society, Metis Urban Housing Corp., and the Metis Nation?s Zone IV Regional Council.

Two breakfast opportunities were Nov. 14 at A Channel television, and Nov. 15 at Metis Child and Family Services.

The Metis Literacy Project co-ordinated by Sara Skwarchuk and Cora Weber Pillwax held its final seminar at Sacred Heart Church Nov. 15.

A few of the guests included students from the Boyle Street Learning Centre. The students commented about how the centre helped them learn to communicate and speak out on something they could not do before, and it gave them something constructive to do.

Fifty-four students were registered in the program.

On Nov. 16, the Metis Nation made its annual trek to the Alberta Legislature where respects were paid to the memory of the great Metis leader, Louis Riel.

The Riel commemoration was followed by a brunch at the Metis Nation and the Delia Gray Memorial Banquet at the Italian Community Centre. Gray had been the organization?s senior Elder.

Meanwhile, the Edmonton Metis Cultural Dance Society kicked off its second annual Joey Gladue Memorial Festival at the Sands Hotel.

A banquet with speeches by Senator Thelma Chalifoux and Liberal parliamentary candidates Anne McLellan and Sue Olsen also included the wit and talents of comedian, emcee and singer Winston Wuttunee and the vocal stylings of the duo, Creative Harmony.

The festival continued Nov. 17 with the talent contest, and fiddling, jigging and square dance competitions were held on Nov. 18.

Edmonton vocalist BevAnn Cardinal won the female vocals while Jody Callihoo placed second. In the male category, Edmonton?s Don Gladue won out over Ed Poitras from St. Paul. Another Poitras, Cory, won the 16-and-under category, while Crystal Anne placed second.

Dawn Ferguson and Julie Robertson combined as Creative Harmony to win out over Brian Powder and Roy Arcand in the duet category.

It was Caroline Von Grad who proved the winner in fiddle competition; Camille Lavalee came second.

There was a raft of youth that contested the 12-and-under jigging. Once the dust had settled, Duane Desjarlais from Lac La Biche showed his mettle by winning out over Kayla Flett and third-place Kevin Anderson, both from the Peavine Metis Settlement.

Brook Bellegarde from Turtle Mountain, N. D., and Edmonton?s Raymond Gladue placed first and second in the teen jig, while Fane Ray from Green Lake captured the adult category, followed by Brent Potskin from Edmonton.

As for the women, it was Jennifer Kootenay from Peavine who bested second-place Shelley Johnstone from Edmonton.

Last but not least, the senior jig was won by Walter Cardinal, followed by Robert Durocher, both from Edmonton.

In square dancing, Creeland from Duck Lake, Sask., danced off with first prize over Norway House, Man. Placing third and fourth were Pelican Narrows, Sask. and the Riel Memorial Dancers from Green Lake, Sask.

Metis Week has been an annual event since it was begun by the Metis Nation in 1985, which was the 100th anniversary of the death of Louis Riel.