La Danse di la Rivyairre Rooj, Oayache Mannin: A Cultural Inquiry into Dance, Music, and Song, as Practiced by the Red River Métis Family Networks

courtesy: https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/toward-a-metis-homeland/

‘La Danse di la Rivyairre Rooj, Oayache Mannin’ is a series of online visits and virtual/live-knowledge sharing activities with scholars, artist-practitioners, and community members of the Red River Jig (RRJ) family networks. Hosted by Drs. Suzanne Steele (ULeth), Michelle Porter (Memorial), and Monique Giroux (ULeth), we seek to trace a ‘cultural DNA’ of a peoples for whom the RRJ represents not only a dance, an entertainment, a historical connection, but also signifies a national project, and, importantly, a spiritual balm. This project is a multi-year, cultural inquiry into dance, music, and song as practiced by the Red River Métis Family Networks. It focuses on the centrality of the RRJ to the Michif peoples but also invites conversations on its meaning to Indigenous peoples and friends throughout Turtle Island, the homeland, above and below the Medicine Line.

Save The Date!

We are excited to announce that the RRJN is hosting a visit with two amazing Métis Fiddlers Alex Kusturok and Brianna Lizotte!

When: Tuesday, February 28th @ 1:30pm Mountain Time

Where: Via Zoom

What Does the Red River Jig Sound Like?

Check out this short performance of the Red River Jig below!

Here we have Ella Speckeen playing her fiddle Butterscotch, made by Master Métis fiddler John Arcand, and Jeff Hilberry on guitar, with Frieda the dog!

Montana homeland, photo: M Giroux