Students join in kitchen party to learn Métis culture

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on April 21, 2023.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Monique Giroux, Canada research chair in Métis music, plays the fiddle for a group of students during the Moochigan Thursday at Our Lady of the Assumption School.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Students and staff of Our Lady of the Assumption School had the opportunity to learn about a traditional gathering within the Métis culture called a Moochigan Thursday afternoon.

Grade 6 homeroom teacher, Jorin Gaudet, who is Métis, said the Moochigan is a kitchen party where people gather to eat, play fiddle music and dance.

“Today is all about sharing and celebrating Métis culture. I’ve titled the event Moochigan which is a Métis word that’s been used in my family for a long time to talk about a kitchen party or a celebration, where music is played and dancing is done and meals are shared,” said Gaudet.

Students had the opportunity to circulate to different cultural stations. One of them had elder Rod McLeod showcasing Métis artifacts; in the music classroom students were able to listen to Canada Research Chair in Métis Music Monique Giroux play the fiddle and answer some of their questions; and in the gymnasium students had the opportunity to learn a few steps from a couple of traditional Métis jiggers.

“We have a wonderful bunch of activities and we’re culminating with a little bit of a dramatic presentation on the stage and inviting the kids to have a sneak peek into a kitchen party,” said Gaudet.

He said during a Moochigan mainly the fiddle is played but they also play the spoons. He said it is mainly about sharing traditional Métis values which is the relationship with one another, celebrating the music, celebrating with food and just really joining together as a family.

Gaudet said it was very important to him to be able to share his culture with the students.

“I come from a long line of Métis ancestry. I’m originally from Paddle Prairie Métis settlement in northern Alberta and I moved down to Lethbridge about 10 years ago and I knew that I wanted to share and embrace my culture becoming a teacher and teaching down here, so this offered me the opportunity to do that” said Gaudet.

School principal Meghan Calder said sharing the Métis culture with the students was something she has been wanting to do for a while, and had been asking Gaudet about it almost since they met while both worked at St. Francis Junior High School a few years back.

She said she has had a particular interest in First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture knowledge as part of Truth and Reconciliation for a while and when she found out Gaudet was from Paddle Prairie and was Métis, she encouraged him years ago to start to teach those around him and perhaps use it in his classroom.

“Then a couple of years ago I became the principal here at the school and he became a Grade 6 teacher, so I have been sort working on him the last couple of years and saying ‘I would really love to have a way to share your Métis culture and heritage with our students’ and this year he came to me and he said OK,” said Calder.

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