Photo: Jason Lepine and Lionel Desjarlais at Bellevue for Métis Kitchen Party / Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
By Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
For five days in early November, Métis fiddler Jason Lepine and Michif musician and jigger, Lionel Desjarlais, will be bringing live Métis fiddle music and interactive jigging demonstrations to elementary schools and daycares in five different communities: Prince Albert, Birch Hills, St. Louis, Bellevue, and Rosthern. The whirlwind tour will conclude with a very special visit to Valley Action Abilities in Rosthern. Homeland of Batoche Métis Local #51 organized the tour, and funding was made possible through a Community Enrichment Grant through Métis Nation -Saskatchewan.
Manitoba Métis Fiddling Champion and Recording Artist, Jason Lepine, was born and raised in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Jason started playing fiddle at the age of 7 years, and was influenced by his dad, Garry Lepine, who is a Métis and a Manitoba Fiddle Association Hall of Famer. Jason, who was also inducted into the Manitoba Fiddle Association Hall of Fame, is a self-taught fiddle player who plays by ear. He has won numerous fiddle contests during his career while also judging and teaching the fiddle. He continues to play for all types of functions and has played all over Canada and in some performances in the United States. He has regularly played at Back to Batoche celebrations and the annual Métis Kitchen Party hosted by Local #51.
Jason has shared his music and the Métis culture with classrooms and nursery programs throughout Manitoba and Ontario, and this will be the first time bringing it to Saskatchewan. The lively fiddle tunes and simple interactive jigging demonstrations that are part of the program create an unforgettable experience for young people. “I was given a special gift to play the fiddle, which I inherited from my dad. I continue to share that gift of playing fiddle with many Youths and Elders,” he said.
Lionel Desjarlais, who is originally from St. Laurent, Manitoba, has been in the entertainment business for 60 years as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, arranger, producer and performer. He and Lepine have paired up before to provide entertainment, traditional Métis teachings and of course music. Together, the pair are more than qualified to provide a wealth of Métis knowledge and share what it means to be Métis. Desjarlais shared news of the upcoming tour with the following: “Look forward to this, being with the kids is the best!”
The MN–S Community Enrichment Grant Program provides funding support for Métis early learning programming in communities throughout our Nation. Project activities must be designed for children ages 0-12 and provide Métis cultural learning opportunities. The Community Enrichment Grant is available to all Métis Locals in Saskatchewan. President of Local #51, Victor Guillet, has always said that although he wears the hat of president, everything the Local organizes is a group effort with everyone working as a very close team. This is just the latest undertaking by Local #51 to support the sharing and appreciation of the Métis culture.
Métis Local #51 is located in the heart of where the Métis took their stand during the Northwest Resistance, with many tracing their ancestry to those who fought 140 years ago. Many of the citizens of Local #51 live in the communities that surround Batoche, such as Bellevue, St. Louis, Wakaw, Domremy, and even Cudworth. On its Facebook page, Local #51 writes, “This will be an unforgettable experience that will leave these youth, children and babies tapping their feet, and wanting more!”