Métis culture transformed the Unicentre atrium Nov. 16 as Carleton students gathered to sample cuisine, listen to music and celebrate the 124th anniversary of Louis Riel’s death.
Sheila Grantham, the Aboriginal culture liaison officer at the Centre for Aboriginal Culture and Education, said even though it was her first year organizing the event, she thought it was crucial to bring the celebration to Carleton’s campus.
Grantham said Riel fought against injustice at a time when many Métis people were living in poverty and were taken from their traditional territories.
“I think his influence can transcend time as we look upon our own society. . . . That’s why I wanted to highlight our own contemporary Métis leaders and emphasize the resiliency within Métis communities today.”
Riel was a Métis leader who led two rebellions and negotiated with the Canadian government for the establishment of Manitoba. He was executed for treason by the government in 1885.
The event included performances by fiddlers and an appearance by Jig on the Fly, a dance trio based in Ottawa that perform individual and social Métis dancing.
Pauline Huppie, a dancer from Jig on the Fly, addressed the audience, explaining that 124 years ago, Louis Riel said that his people would sleep for 100 years, and that the artists would awaken them.
“We like to dance to spread the cheer and to awaken their spirits,” Huppie said.
Later on in the day, there was a proclamation and unfurling of the flag ceremony organized by the Métis council and the Ottawa Police Service. Robert Pellerin, the Ottawa Métis Council President, said the ceremony was a chance to represent the Métis people for an important historical day.
“This day represents more widely Métis culture and the history behind their traditions,” said Holly LaForge, the Aboriginal Service Centre Co-ordinator for Carleton University Students’ Association.
LaForge said students need to understand the diversity and history of aboriginals both in Canada and on campus.
Grantham said organizing the event didn’t feel like work at all. She said Nov. 16 was more like a family reunion than a work commitment.
“It was nice to see the events take on a life of their own as the local Métis community came forward to share their knowledge and experience with the Carleton community.”