Musical family wows crowd at Metis youth conference

Page 8

A recipient of last year's Aboriginal Achievement awards, Alika LaFontaine, was in Edmonton at the third national Metis Youth Conference on Feb. 25 to 27.

LaFontaine and four other members of his family are better known as the 5th Generation, a singing group consisting of Chris, 21, Norman, 19, Alika, 17, Leemai, 15 and Kalea, 13. The members of the group, whose musical style could be likened to the Osmonds or the Jackson 5, are of Aboriginal and Polynesian descent. The group's father, Chris, is Metis from Saskatchewan, while their mother, Lani, is from Hawaii.

The LaFontaines' late grandfather, Napoleon LaFontaine, was involved with the Metis Association in Saskatchewan for many years. Proud parents accompanied the group to the conference.

"We have a lot of talented, smart and active youth," said mother, Lani. "That makes me proud knowing that they are enthusiastic about their culture. I hope the knowledge they received today does not just stay with them. They have to pass on the gifts they have. In order to help someone else you have to have the things to help people. You cannot talk about helping people who are in poverty if you are in poverty also. I know that in the traditional ways no one was into alcohol. There is no such thing as anyone saying it is our way, because it is not," she said.

Alika, who holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, seems to have it all for his age: a close and loving family, a record of achievement, a career goal and community and peer support. However, this second-year pre-med student had to work hard to get to where he is. When he was in Grade 4, the public school system labeled him developmentally delayed because his speech was slurred. It was with the support of his parents and through his hard work that he was able to overcome this problem.

"It was really a hearing problem. It was not a permanent condition," said Alika.

"Today there are five main rules that I follow that I've learned from my father: to do more than to participate, to belong; to do more than dream, to work; to do more than be polite, to respect; to be more than honest, be trustworthy: to do more than give, you must serve," he said.

Alika says that the respect that he has for his mother and father is the reason he tries hard.

"Everything that they do affects me positively. It makes me want to give something back to them," he said.

The talented members of the group not only brought their musical skills to this conference, they also did a workshop - Substance Abuse Issues Affecting Youth. Members of the group discussed some of the issues they faced, such as sibling rivalry, peer pressures, expectations and growing up.

"Can I change anyone else? Change will only happen when people want to change. Even when you are told that you cannot succeed you can," said Alika.

Lani believes that the greatest work you can ever do is within the walls of your own home.

"If they are your beliefs, you have to act like it. If you want to break away from alcoholism, you have to stay away from people who are into alcohol and start hanging around people who are healing," she said.

The group has done extensive touring across Canada. They have also performed in the South Pacific and in northern California. In 1994 they won the Saskatchewan Youth Talent Search Award and are currently working on their third recording. Their musical influences are rhythm and blues, reggae and cultural recordings.