HUMBOLDT — The Prairie Central District for Sport, Culture and Recreation will be teaching people about Métis Jigging and Sash Weaving with practitioners of these traditional arts.
Jigging is a traditional Métis dance.
Cultural arts practitioners Brenna Pacholko and Richanda Fisher will lead the drop-in session.
Both women obtained their Bachelor of Education degree at the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) at the University of Regina, and currently reside in the city.
Pacholko has Indigenous ancestral lines extending to the Michif communities of Lebret and Lestock and to First Nations communities of Sakimay and Kawacatoose. Fisher is a Métis woman with lineage tracing back to the Métis farm in Lebret on the Fisher side of her family and Willowbunch on the McGillis side of her family.
“One of the reasons that we are hosting these activities at the site is because the Original Humboldt site sits on the historic Carlton Trail, which is a huge part of Métis cultural history,” said Catherine Harrison, cultural programmer at Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery. “The Métis used the Carlton Trail to basically develop the west.”
Harrison said they also used the famous Red River carts on the Carleton trail while travelling.
“We want to celebrate that connection with the land and that culture and learn about it,” she said. “Connecting with one of the stories of that piece of that piece of land is the real importance of it.”
The event will take place at Original Humboldt on Aug. 16 starting at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the museum at 602 Main St, Humboldt.
Tours of the site will also be available. There is no charge for this event.