Dancers learn about culture

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With their steps blending in perfect formation with their partners, it was not hard to see why the Sakitawak Michif Dancers from Ile-a-la-Crosse took home a first-place win at the fifth annual Metis Fest in Edmonton on Nov. 15. Under the direction and supervision of co-ordinator Liz Durocher, the dancers, who range in age from 9 to 11, really showed the audience what dancing was all about.

"They really had a good time in Edmonton," Durocher said. "They really enjoy going out of town. It gives them a chance to meet other dancers. They were so happy, they did not expect to win."

The dance group competes in at least two dance competitions a year, Durocher said. She believes that the dance group is an important vehicle for helping the young dancers keep their Metis culture alive. Weekly practices at the local friendship centre or at the community hall keep the dancers' feet nimble.

"The kids look forward to dancing and they are always at the practices on time and they work hard. I think that it is important to show the kids not only the importance of Metis dancing but also the Michif language because it is disappearing fast," Durocher said.

"We are in the process of trying to show them some Michif songs and to try to incorporate the songs with their dance routines. We are continually showing them dances from the past, like drops of brandy and birdie in the cage. We are looking back at our culture and we are trying to relive some of the traditions that took place years ago. We would like to eventually teach them how to be dance callers. We wouldn't mind doing that in the near future because that is also part of our culture. I see that the more they learn the more excited they get about it."

Even road trips like their recent trip to Edmonton become part of the teaching process, Durocher explained. During the eight-hour drive, the dancers listened to fiddle music, sang songs and practiced their language skills.

"Every time we go on one of these trips, we always try to use the Michif language in the car," she said.

The dance group got its start when the community invited an individual from the nearby community of Pinehouse to come and show the organizers some steps, which they soon started sharing with local youth, encouraging them to dance.

"They've been dancing for a few years now," Durocher said. "The parents are really involved and we utilize our community Elders as often as we can. We invite them to our practices."

Durocher, who was born and raised in Isle-a-la-Crosse, said that she was not taught how to dance when she was young, but she recalls observing the people who danced at events in the community. She said they inspired her to wonder why dancing was so important.

"This is what I show the kids, that if they want to learn how to dance they have to watch other dancers performing. They could learn a lot of different steps and ideas off of them," said.Liz Durocher.

The group paid for their trip through their own fundraising efforts, as well as donations from the community.

"We also do bottle drives and raffles and I encourage as many parents as I can to come on the trip. We had five parents from the group attend this competition so that was great. We also had an Elder accompany us as well. We did this so that the Elder can show the kids how to respect people and to be respectful in their surroundings," she said.

All the effort it took for the group to get to the Edmonton event was appreciated by Metis Fest organizers.

"The dancing in northern Saskatchewan is just awesome. They've got some good up-and- coming dancers out there. We were so glad to have them over here," said Lyle Donald, president of the Edmonton Metis Cultural Dance Society, which organizes the Metis Fest. "The dancers sure did a good job. They really made the show with the way they dressed, it was so traditional with the boys wearing the hats. They really kept the traditional Metis gear.

"It is often hard for them to come dwn because of the expense it takes. We attend quite a few dance events up in their area during the year so it all comes down to us supporting each other," Donald said.

"Most of the communities have a hard time with sponsorship because quite a few of them are from communities that cannot afford to support their groups. So when they come out they have to cover all of their expenses basically on their own dollar but they still came down to support the event and it was great that a few of them took some money home."