Métis Moochigan in Lethbridge

Dustin Gamble and Christobel (Bel) Piche

The noise is deafening and nobody minds. What started as a traditional Métis dance called “Drops of Brandy” has morphed into dozens of elementary students twirling arm-in-arm and jigging wildly to live fiddle and guitar music. It’s a gleeful melee in the true spirit of Moochigan.
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Moochigan, according to organizer and Métis member Jorin Gaudet, is a Métis word which describes a kitchen party, a gathering where food is shared, music is played, and people come together to dance and celebrate. Gaudet, who originally hales from the Métis community of Paddle Prairie in Northern Alberta, said he came up with the idea “to bring Métis culture to life” within his school. Gaudet is a Grade 6 teacher at Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) School of Holy Spirit Catholic School Division in Lethbridge. With collaboration from his friends, and support from a raft of groups and organizations, Gaudet planned an afternoon of activities for the 150 students of OLA.

Jorin Gaudet, teacher and organizer of the Moochigan

Students heard stories from an elder, learned about traditional instruments from music scholars and cheered on a pair of youthful jiggers who stamped and spun with time honoured dance steps. Students also ate a typical Métis meal including bannock and pemmican plus learned a few words of Michif, a Métis language. To end the event, students participated in a skit depicting a kitchen party. They were encouraged to use their newly learned Michif words and finally to join in the dancing and general celebration.
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Commenting on the event, principal Meghan Calder said, “We have very diverse student population so they’re always open to new ways of doing and learning. Couple that with physical activity, great music and great guests and it’s easy for them to get involved.” Calder went on to say she was pleased her coworker had agreed to share his cultural heritage. She first learned about it when she and Gaudet taught at the same school years earlier. She encouraged him then, and since, to teach others about his culture. “This is really Jorin’s day,” Calder said. For his part, Gaudet said the event was almost like going home!       

Samples of Metis traditional clothing and artifacts

Daniel Beeson-Bergeron and Monique Giroux

Students clearly enjoyed the various activities but the whole event was intended for a larger purpose. Principal Calder explained that the school is committed to furthering Truth and Reconciliation principles by finding creative ways to learn about First Nations and Métis peoples. This goal is echoed by the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops in their pastoral letter to the Métis “That We May Walk Together”. In it the CCCB pledges to facilitate opportunities to make Métis history known. “You have spoken clearly of the need to tell your stories, to make your history, spiritual, and cultural traditions more widely known,” the document says. It then goes on to invite Catholic educational institutions, seminaries and religious houses to partner in this endeavor.

The Moochigan held at OLA School involved several of Jorin Gaudet’s personal friends and fellow Métis. They spoke about their experiences and shared interesting information on traditional tools, dances, music, food preparation, cultural symbols and much more. Gaudet himself explained to students that the dark coloured sash he wore was a memorial to a sad time in Métis history after the Riel Rebellion. Elder Roderick McLeod shared his sadness too saying that he was reluctant to openly identify as Métis throughout much of his youth because of the discrimination Métis peoples endured. He welcomed the current openness to learning about First Nations, Metis, and Inuit cultures.

​On the other end of the age spectrum, Dustin Gamble is not Métis but has learned the intricate footwork of traditional dances from his friend Christobel Piche who has been dancing since she was eleven. Wearing beaded buckskin accessories, the pair enthralled students with their energetic performances. They told their audience that Métis was “a very beautiful, very inclusive culture”. Gamble said, “Whether you’re Métis of not, you can still be a part of the picture, you can still have fun and jig”. The students and staff of OLA School took this message to heart as they joyfully danced the Moochigan to a close.

Elder Roderick McLeod

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Written by Alice Matisz for Faithfully. ​Alice lives in Lethbridge with her husband Don. She is a member of All Saints Parish where she volunteers to bring the Eucharist to a long term care home. She enjoys reading, writing, baking and painting. 
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Photos courtesy of Alice Matisz.