Prince Albert Exhibition Centre. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Emily Zbaraschuk

Metis culture

Fiddling and food: table set for Métis Kitchen Party

May 11, 2019 | 2:00 PM

Fiddle music, dance, good food, and fun is how organizers describe the Métis Kitchen Party, a community gathering set to start at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Hosted by the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI), the dance is part of its 50th anniversary celebration.

“This [event] reflects our vision and our mission, which is healing,” event organizer and communications manager, Shayne Lazarowich told paNOW.

Anyone is welcome to visit, listen, and dance at the event, which is taking place at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre. Entertainment includes the Dean Smith Band, the Strong Sisters, the Qu’Appelle Valley SquareDancers, and the Riverside Jigging Club, a youth group. Soup and bannock will be served, but no alcohol will be sold or allowed.

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“[This event] provides opportunities for people to get together and have a good time and celebrate, dance, and listen to music in an alcohol-free or drug-free environment,” Lazarowich said. “That’s very important for clients or ex-clients [of MACSI’s treatment program].”

According to Lazarowich, the organization takes a unique approach to addiction treatment, using cultural traditions to promote healing. Hoping to bring people together, this dance follows the same approach, drawing on elements of Métis culture, he said.

“We really want to stress that we’re using Métis and Indigenous culture here with the intent of showcasing it but [we’re] also bringing together the community,” Lazarowich said.

The dance has entertainment for all ages and is family friendly, Lazarowich said. To his knowledge, it is the first event of its kind that MACSI has organized. The other cities with treatment centres, Saskatoon and Regina, will host their own kitchen parties at later dates.

“It’s important to have these kind of events in our community and to be able to recognize and celebrate elements of the culture that makes up our community’s diversity,” Lazarowich said.

To make it affordable for all families, admission is by donation. The dance runs until around midnight.

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Emily.Zbaraschuk@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow