RECONCILIATION THROUGH ART
MÉTIS KITCHEN PARTY
October 2nd, 2026
6:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Doors Open 5:30 PM
Tickets: $40
Métis Kitchen Parties are traditional social gatherings of family and friends for an afternoon or an evening feast of boulettes y bang (meatball stew and bannoch). Then the room is cleared, the fiddles break out and the dancing begins!
Juno-nominated Amanda Rheaume with the Mâmawin’towin Band will entertain and get everyone going by line dancing to her tune “Come on Down to Flossies”. Jason Lepine and Lionel Desjarlais will perform fast moving, foot stomping, hand clapping traditional Métis tunes like Whiskey Before Breakfast, Big John McNeil, and The Red River Jig, and the Edmonton Traditional Métis Dancers will dazzle attendees with their electrifying footwork! Everyone will then be invited to join in the fun.
As an added treat, the Frybread Queen will serve her famous Bear Paws all evening long. Doors open at 5:30 PM and the party begins at 6:00 PM on Friday, October 2nd at the North Lanark Agricultural Hall at the Fair Grounds in Almonte: 195 Water Street. There will also be a CASH bar. Come ready to eat, dance, visit and celebrate together.
PERFORMERS
ARTISTS
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An event to coincide with the
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An Event to Coincide with the
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An Event to Coincide with the
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An event to coincide with the
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An Event to Coincide with the
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Donate to the Kooshkopayiw Métis Artist Collective
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An Event to Coincide with the
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Donate to the Kooshkopayiw Métis Artist Collective
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An event to coincide with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An Event to Coincide with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH ART
An Event to Coincide with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Event Details
Overview
Reconciliation Through Art is a fundraising event for Kooshkopayiw (Awakening) Métis Artist Collective and initiative to promote and support other Indigenous artists and artisans. The event features an Indigenous Art Exhibition, Storytelling and Performances.
Date
September 30th, 2024
Location
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, Almonte, Ontario
Artists & Vendors
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Storytellers & Performers
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Edmonton Métis Cultural Dancers
The Edmonton Métis Cultural Dancers were established in the fall of 1985 by young students at the Canadian Native Friendship Centre (CNFC) in Edmonton. Georgina Donald, the cultural coordinator, believed it was essential for youth to engage with their culture through the arts in a fun and expressive way.
The dancers promote traditional Métis dances and celebrate the cultural heritage of their mixed ancestry. Some of these traditional dances include the Duck Dance, Reel of Eight, Drops of Brandy, Reel of Four, and the Red River Jig. They also perform first changes and breakdowns, with square dances described by a square dance caller. The group has also mastered show dances that highlight their stepping abilities, such as the Orange Blossom Special, Broom Dance, Sash Dance, and Cotton Eyed Joe.
Today, the group consists of four generations of the Donald family, including the grandfather, sons, daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Amanda Rheaume with the Mâmawin’towin Band
Amanda Rheaume with the Mâmawin’towin Band provide a vibrant experience rooted in the spirit of the Métis kitchen party, where music, stories, and community come together.
Mâmawin’towin, meaning “together” in Michif, reflects the heart of the performance: a shared gathering grounded in connection, music, and story.
Co-led by Juno-nominated, CFMA Award–winning Métis singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume and celebrated Métis fiddler Alyssa Katrine, their performance blends powerful songwriting with the lively energy of traditional Métis fiddle music. Joined by Danton Delbaere-Sawchuk (cello, guitar, vocals) and Kyler Tapscott (guitar, vocals), the ensemble creates a rich, acoustic sound that moves seamlessly between driving fiddle tunes, heartfelt songs, and stories drawn from Métis history and lived experience.
Jason Lepine
Born and raised in Portage la Prairie, MB, Jason currently resides in Winnipeg, MB.
Throughout his career, Jason has earned numerous accolades, including the Manitoba Old-Time Fiddle Championship and the MB & SK Métis Style Fiddle Championship. He has also represented Manitoba twice as one of the top five fiddlers at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Competition.
In addition to his performance career, Jason teaches fiddle lessons, judge’s contests, and shares his cultural heritage through music and dance. He has also performed with many groups, including the early years of the Doc Walker Band, and has opened for headliners such as Patricia Conroy, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Natalie McMaster, and Leahy. Jason has been heard on radio stations and has appeared on TV for the Manitoba Metis Federation, as well as APTN’s “The Mix”.
Jason’s career highlights include playing at the Summer Olympic Games, the Celtic Colors International Festival in Cape Breton, Asham Stomper Fest, Back to Batoche Days, Keplin Fest in Belcourt N.D. USA, Dauphin Country Fest, Winnipeg Jets NHL games, and numerous Métis and First Nations events.
He has released three recordings: Hearsay (2008), Drivin’ Force (Award-Winning, 2014), and Métis Flair (2018). Jason’s unique Métis fiddling style is full of feel and lots of energy!
Lionel Desjarlais
Lionel Desjarlais is a Métis singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and performer from St. Laurent, Manitoba, with more than 60 years in entertainment. He began singing at three, playing guitar at five, and recorded his first songs at seven, earning an appearance on The Tommy Hunter Show. By 15, he was touring Canada and the United States, later performing across Central America and for Costa Rican President Daniel Oduber Quirós.
A ten-time Manitoba Association of Country Artists award winner, Lionel has performed everything from country, rock, blues and jazz to gospel and traditional Métis music. His career has taken him to Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian, major festivals and stages across 10 countries. He has performed twice for Queen Elizabeth II and alongside artists including Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Hank Williams Jr. and Charlie Daniels. His recording “Winnipeg Woman” reached No. 2 on the National Aboriginal Music charts.
Lionel has also spent 18 years teaching Michif language and culture to children through Calgary Métis Family Services. Now living in Winnipeg with his wife Cecile, he continues to perform and share music, including a weekly live Gospel show.
Isaac Murdoch
Isaac is well respected as a storyteller and traditional knowledge holder. For many years he has led various workshops and cultural camps that focus on the transfer of knowledge to youth. His work includes traditional Ojibway paint imagery/symbolism, harvesting, medicine walks and ceremonial knowledge, cultural camps, Anishinaabeg oral history, birch bark canoe making, birch bark scrolls, and youth and elders workshops. He has committed his life to the preservation of Anishinaabe cultural practices and has spent years learning directly from Elders. Issac will present stories and will have his prints and teaching tools available for sale.
Giniw Paradis
Graham Paradis (he/him) is Michif/Wiisaakodewin from Penetanguishene with ancestral ties to Lesser Lakes Lake, AB. He is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. He has been beading since 2012 as a self-taught artist and started mentoring under Naomi Smith (Chippewas of Nawash, Neyaashiinigmiing Unceded Territory) in 2014. His beadwork and quillwork have been featured at the Royal Alberta Museum, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Art Mur, the PAMA Museum, Guelph Civic Museum, the Niagara Falls History Museum, and the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. Graham is Red/Green colour blind which at times gives his beadwork an interesting and unique colour palette.
Roxanne Shank
Roxanne is a Métis Quilt Artist who works with various quilt techniques including piecing, appliqué, cyanotype, lace and embroidery.
A founding member of the Kooshkopayiw Métis Arts Council, Roxanne has exhibited work at such institutions as the MNO 30th Annual General Assembly (2023, Westin Hotel, Ottawa), and has exhibited and taught at the Simcoe County Museum Quilt, Rug and Artisan Fair (2021, 2022, 2023). She has also regularly exhibited at the Alliston Quilting Corners Guild and led a solo trunk show and exhibition of her work. Recent 2024 highlights include exhibiting at the Midland Cultural Centre and the Muskoka Discovery Centre (Gravenhurst).
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Frybread Queen
Nish is a self-taught wood and bone antler carver. His home community is Kebaowek First Nation at Kipewa, Quebec.
His work naturally gravitated to eagles, bears, wolves and beaver – animals he had seen as a young boy living an Indigenous life with his grandparents in Northern Quebec.
Nish is carving a Thunderbird specifically for Reconciliation Through Art and will complete his carving during the event. He will tell the story of Nanibush and how the Thunderbird came to be.
Mitch Case
Mitch Case is a proud Métis citizen from the Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community. He is a community based historian, focusing on the history of Ontario Métis communities, especially those around the Great Lakes.
Mitch is a passionate defender of the Métis right to self-determination, jurisdiction over lands and resources and the cause of Métis Nationalism. Mitch volunteers in schools, colleges and universities across Ontario where he is invited to speak about Métis culture, history, traditions, rights and contemporary issues.
Mitch will present the Métis perspective of the Métis involvement in the War of 1812, the Mica Bay Incident and the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850.
Lollies and Button Bites (Deborah Letch)
Waaseyaa Kwe, Sunshine Woman, Waanaashkeski Doodem, is a versatile artist, and self taught sweet maker based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is of Métis, French, and Algonkian (Anishinaabe) ancestry, with documented roots in Nipissing, Michilimakinac, and Trois Rivières. As an award nominated Makeup Artist, her creative nature enjoys art in all its forms including confectionary art, designing contemporary greeting cards, pin back buttons and nature inspired crafts. Inspired by her wanderings in the woods, birthed a fusion of woodland magic within her confections, where nature's bounty dances within her lollipops. Using top-quality ingredients without preservatives and keeping the ingredient list minimal, she meticulously handcrafts her sugar art as a form of creative expression.
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Zac Thiffault
Zac Thiffault is Métis from the Georgian Bay Métis Community.
Zac will be making a presentation on the history and the ancestry of the Métis families of the Great Lakes Métis Communities.
He received his JD and his B.Soc.Sc (hons) from the University of Ottawa. Zac is Legal Counsel to the Métis Nation of Ontario, advising on a wide range of topics including self-government, Métis rights, and internal governance. He is also Secretary of the Indigenous Bar Association.
Kevinn Schofield
Kevinn Schofield, a.k.a. The Tennessee Cree, is an Indigenous singer-songwriter who blends powerful songwriting with traditional chants. His unique, evocative style is captured on his two-part solo album: Meeting Myself on Raven Street.
Kevinn sings old school pow wow songs with classical violin and some Tennessee Cree twang. He will share Moose Cree songs of his youth. No one has ever sung a Cree hymn in Cree language in a rock concert setting... Kevinn has!
Amanda Rheaume
A Citizen of the Métis Nation, and an active and proud member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Rheaume's music is indeed from the heart, and the land.
From the International Indigenous Music Summit, to the newly-founded Ishkode Records, and the National Indigenous Music Office, the goal of raising Indigenous sovereignty in the music industry drives all of Rheaume's work.
First a songwriter, Rheaume comes from a long line of tireless, transformational organizers and activists, and carries this lineage forward in her ever-growing role as a crucial builder of Indigenous music infrastructure and community.
David Finkle
David Finkle has been called a 'Renaissance man'. Hailing from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, he is an award-winning, multi-instrumental recording artist versed in many musical genres. He is a traditional knowledge keeper, storyteller, drum maker, performer, producer, and sound engineer, and has completed scores for many various theatrical productions, documentaries and full-length features for 30 years.
David's music ranges from traditional melodies to live improvisation, being instinctual as well as involving a deep understanding of music theory without allowing it to stifle his heartfelt compositions. Exhibiting a strong focus on drums, melody duties often go to Native American Flute, an instrument unlike any other in the world. David has performed in North/Central America, the high Arctic, and Africa.
Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk
Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk has completed a doctorate in classical and fiddle music traditions on the viola at the Université de Montréal. An award winning composer and performer, Alyssa strives to spread awareness of Métis culture within her communities.
Alyssa conducts workshops in schools on Métis fiddle music, oral learning tradition, improvisation, and cultural history. Over the course of her workshops, students learn about slides, drones, clogging, spoons, and grooves, and increase their cultural literacy of Indigenous music. At the event, she will conduct workshops in addition to performing with her good friend, Amanda Rheaume.
David Charette
David White Deer Charette’s home community is Wikwemikong, ON. He is an Ojibway Two-Spirit artist who started beading when he was 12. His sister taught him how to bead and his aunt taught him how to sew. His inspiration comes from growing up on the powwow trail.
David has been singing traditional and contemporary Indigenous music with the hand drum since he was 12 years old. His diverse songs can wow the crowd. He says, “I am Loon Clan and these sort of people can get the audience’s attention with the power in their voice by singing loud and soft when needed.”
Doris Lanigan
Doris is a Senator and Elder of the Métis Nation of Ontario. She will provide an opening prayer at the event. She will talk about the experience and the impact of the Sixties Scoop on her family who originate from Big River, Saskatchewan.
Doris will also model fashion designs by her son, Jason Baerg. Her photo was included in Vogue’s August 16, 2023 feature article: “21 Artists to Know at This Year’s Santa Fe Indian Market”
Kristy Cameron, a teacher and visual artist, was born and raised in Atikokan, Ontario, the Canoe Capital of Canada. As a Métis artist and descendant of numerous fur trade employees, she often incorporates Indigenous and historical content into her art. With this history and culture, we often see spiritual weavings throughout her pieces which evoke sensations such as mystery, energy, contentment, and joyfulness. Kristy's art can be found in private and public collections, such as the Archives of Ontario, the Kenora Justice Centre, the Canadian Museum of History, and various school boards and social agencies. She has collaborated with various authors to illustrate books and stories such as The Seven Sacred Teachings and Meet Your Family; these books have been highly used by educators nationwide.