This Indigenous History Month, an essential piece of Métis culture will be centre stage in the AGO. On Friday, June 13, Walker Court will host a Métis Kitchen Party for what promises to be a spirited evening. 

Traditionally hosted in the homes of community members, Métis Kitchen Parties are joyful gatherings, offering everything but the kitchen sink. These celebrations are known for lively jigs, fiddle melodies, jubilant sing-alongs, food and storytelling.  

Leading the evening at the AGO is acclaimed fiddler and educator Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, joined by her siblings Conlin, Nicholas, and Danton. Together, they’ll deliver an unforgettable night of toe-tapping tunes, vivid storytelling, and traditional Métis jigging. Delbaere-Sawchuk will weave together English, French, and Michif to recount the tales of voyageurs, Louis Riel, and the enduring spirit of Métis culture.  

Delbaere-Sawchuk holds a doctorate in Music, with a focus on classical and fiddle music, from the Université de Montréal. She has mentored with Ojibwe elder fiddler Lawrence “Teddy Boy” Houle and collaborated with James Flett to create the award-winning group Oméigwessi Reel Métis. She is also a member of Métis Fiddler Quartet, a violinist for Kuné: Canada's Global Orchestra, and tours regularly with the Sultans of String and Amanda Rheaume.

Before the performance, Delbaere-Sawchuk spoke to Foyer about Métis Kitchen Parties and the highlights of her career as a fiddler.  

Image courtesy of the artist

Foyer: How would you describe a Métis Kitchen Party, and what should visitors expect from your performance on June 13? 

Delbaere-Sawchuk: The kitchen was always a place where we could gather, share our stories, connect, play music together and dance – and of course, share a meal. Kitchen Parties typically happen on a Sunday after church. We would push the furniture aside and make room to dance together. Our version [at the AGO] brings that spirit to visitors, who can choose to listen, hum and sing-along and dance. We might even have a few extra pairs of spoons for those who want to further their experience and connection with our culture. 

How long have you been performing with your three siblings? Can you share some of your favourite aspects about having a family dynamic on stage?  

 We have been performing together since our youngest brother Danton felt comfortable being on stage. It really started with being invited and asked by the community. As soon as they found out we were a family of fiddlers, the invites kept coming in. We know each other so well that sometimes we don’t even have to put down a set list, just like a good old Kitchen Party. We might just call the next tune organically. The music has such an improvisatory and crooked nature around it that most guitar players outside of the family band struggle to keep up with the quick chord changes. I love that there is this freedom to play with the melodies, just like our elders did. 

Image courtesy of the artist

You’ve led a diverse career as a fiddler, including your work with Oméigwessi Reel Métis, The Métis Fiddler Quartet, and Kuné. Can you share a few of your most cherished highlights with us? 

With Kuné, it has really been a pleasure and an honour to return to the conservatory while being able to share and perform the music of my ancestral lineage. I grew up in Toronto, studying many hours at the Royal Conservatory of Music, purely under the classical tradition. Being able to return and be given a place to create and explore teaching my cultural tradition, as well as having an opportunity to learn others musical lineages has been an incredible experience, both musically and personally. The biggest performance highlight so far with Kuné was when we performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra just before the pandemic hit. I grew up in Winnipeg watching the symphony and never imagined as a little girl that I would eventually be performing my music with them. Both my mentor, Teddy Boy and my grandfather Todd Sawchuk with whom we grew up playing music with were in the audience. Todd and his siblings had a family band called The Melody Makers. After the performance, Teddy Boy said joyously “I am so proud, I can go to heaven now!” That was the last time either of these incredible grandfather figures saw me play. They both passed within weeks of each other months later. Their music and memories live on with each performance. 

The biggest recent highlight for me was performing and singing in Michif with the Walking Through the Fire project with the Sultans of String on the main stage at Edmonton Folk Festival, playing for a crowd of 15 thousand people. Having the opportunity to play for an audience of that magnitude was exhilarating! 

When the recording dedicated to Lawrence Teddy Boy Houle’s stepfather, Walter Flett, came out, I had the opportunity to play at the WECC in Winnipeg with James Flett on guitar, who is also on the record. We were joined by some other awesome fiddlers from Treaty one and the entire family came out to watch. The joy and the memories filled the room.  

Another huge highlight was when the boys and I went with James and Teddy Boy to Scotland, playing the music that originated from there. There is a mini-documentary that our late friend Bernard Leroux put together and is available on YouTube. 

We would like to dedicate our AGO performance to Bernard, who recently passed. 

Don’t miss Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk’s Métis Kitchen Party on Friday, June 13 at 7 pm in Walker Court. This event is included with admission to the Gallery.