Laugh.
That might seem to be a strange first step when it comes to learning a Metis jig from a dancing professional, but it's tried-and-true advice from one of Western Canada's leading Metis cultural teachers.
Beverly Lambert is known across the prairies for her workshops, class visits and demonstrations about Metis culture, dance and tradition. Running with the stage name Metis Bev, she is also known for her high-spirits and humour-based approach to Metis teaching. Metis Bev will be in Lac La Biche this weekend at the Indigenous Awareness Centre at the Pow Wow Days event.
"I like the people I visit to have fun, and I use humour as I teach respect," she said from her home in Surrey, BC. "We need to keep it light and fun and celebrating who we are."
The 'we' in her presentations is primarily Metis, but Bev says her shows touch on all cultures and all races.
"We have to respect each others' cultures. We all have to have a balance," she explained to the POST last week. "Inclusion ... bringing harmony to all people."
Jigging and much more
Her presentations in Lac La Biche will have the goal of teaching audience members how to jig. But the underlying messages of her presentations are about the Metis people and the culture — serious messages about healing and reconciliation and self-growth and empowerment. She tackles many of the topics with humour, without losing sight of the importance.
"I like to get the audience involved," she said, explaining that volunteers from the crowd are often urged up on stage to join an impromptu 'kitchen band' to play the spoons or washboard or the bathtub. Sometimes more gentle urging from Bev gets participants into traditional Metis costumes of fur hats and buckskin coats before she teaches them basic jigging steps.
The idea is to get people to see the Metis culture without confrontation. She even has some puppets that come out on stage to help.
"I teach jigging and culture and I'll use puppets and instruments and laughter to present how important culture is to our people," she said.
Her role as the Cultural Ambassador to the BC Metis Federation has sent her on inter-provincial tours, workshops and performances like the upcoming Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days events.
Metis Bev will be a weekend mainstay at the Indigenous Awareness Centre on main ball diamond 2 at the Lac La Biche Recreation Grounds. She says audiences of all cultural backgrounds will enjoy the show — and learn to jig. Even those who might be a little shy to get up in front of a crowd will be gently coaxed into taking part ... which is also part of the lesson plan.
"I want people to let go of that fear. I want them to get up and dance," she said, explaining that fear holds cultural significance for the Metis people. "I like to work with our children and teach them to not be afraid. There was a fear when our culture was taken away (with residential schooling and other prejudices). I don't want kids to be victims of that fear anymore. I want to help take that fear away and let them be who they are. We have to let go or our fears and dance again and sing."
The plan for Metis Bev is to come to the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days event and fill her tent with "music and dance and laughter."
The Aboriginal Awareness Centre will be offering a wide range of traditional and cultural events and presentations on Saturday and Sunday at the Lac La Biche Recreation Grounds. Check this week's Pow Wow Days program for more details and times of local events.
