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Video of F22 being read in Michif by translator Dr. Lorraine Coutu-Lavallee.
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Video of F21 being read in Michif by translator Dr. Lorraine Coutu-Lavallee.
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Video recording of French Michif translator Dr. June Bruce recounting her family and personal history.
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V1.8 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.6 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.6 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.5 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.4 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.3a read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.3 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.2 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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V1.1 read by translator Verna de Montigny in Heritage Michif.
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Verna was born and raised in a traditional Metis Community known as Fouillard’s Corner, also known in Michif as Li Kwayn (The Corner) near Binscarth, Manitoba. Verna is the daughter of Jean Louis Fleury and Marie Josephine Ledoux. Her parents relocated to Li Kwaen from the community of Ste Madeleine, a Metis community that was situated near the Saskatchewan and Manitoba border. The Fleury and Ledoux families were among the Metis families who lost their homes and lands at Ste. Madeleine, Manitoba during the government evictions inthe 1930s. Verna now reside in Brandon, Manitoba. Verna has one daughter, four sons and 10 grandchildren. Verna is a fluent Michif speaker and knowledge keeper of her ancestral language Michif and culture. She works diligently to teach, promote and preserve. Her goal is to preserve Michif for future generations. At present Verna is employed teaching Michif in the Brandon School Division, in the community and works with different linguists. She is also a visiting Elder with Assiniboine Community College. Verna likes to share her knowledge of her culture and language with anyone who is willing to listen and learn.
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June Bruce was born in St. Laurent, Manitoba on June 14, 1947 to parents Roland Bruce and Annette Boudreau Bruce. She has two brothers and three sisters, and attended school in St. Laurent from Grade 1 to Grade 10, when she quit school to get married. In the course of her marriage, I had three children, Les, James and Shelley. Because of work shortage in Manitoba, the family moved to Alberta and stayed there for 30 years, from 1969 to 1999, but returned to St. Laurent in 1999. In late 1999 we moved back to Winnipeg. Because of her dreams to graduate from Grade 12, she went back to school in St. Laurent in 2010 and graduated with her diploma. That was about the time that she along, with other local Michif women, started working on a Michif French dictionary. It took them five years to do this, as their Michif French was spoken but never written. The book was published in. Juen Bruce continues to be quite busy with teaching Michif French in her community, in Winnipeg and also in Selkirk, Manitoba. She along with The ladies also meet every week when possible to do some Michif crafts, ie: 100% wool moccasins, mitts, purses with embroidery and or beading. In 2020, in recognition of their efforts to keep the culture and language alive, each of the Dictionary Ladies received their Honorary Doctorate for Doctors of Letters from University of Winnipeg in a special graduation ceremony.
As of 2020, June Bruce has 4 grand children, and 4 great grand-children. She says that her reasons for continuing to work with the Michif French is to keep our language and culture alive for her children, grand-children and great-grand children within the Metis community.
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Lorraine Coutu-Lavallee is a Michif French elder who was born and raised in St Laurent, MB. She went to school in St Laurent, then had her family of 4 girls before going back to school at Red River College to take a business course. She graduated with honors, then was called to work at Revenue Canada until retirement in 2012.
In 2011, Lorraine and four other ladies from St Laurent got together to write the Michif French language Dictionary which had never been written before, in order to preserve their language and culture. They met every Tuesday to work on their book. Five years later, in July of 2016 they self-published their ‘Michif- French Dictionary” at McNally Robinson on Grant in Winnipeg. They did it all on their own with no funding. Nobody believed in them, but they never gave up. Now, two of the ladies, Patricia Miller-Chartrand and Doris Michelayenko-Leclerc, have passed away.
The group taught one language session in St Laurent School before Covid-19, with plans to return in the fall. They also work with the local Headstart program to teach Michif French to pre-schoolers through games and activities.
They are currently working with Michif poet Suzanne Steele-Gaudry and composer Neil Weisensel to translate the musical Li Keur, Riel’s Heart of the North into Michif-French.
They are now working on a second book on the history of their community. They also do crafts, beading, embroidery,slippers, mitts and small purses in 100% wool.
In 2020, in recognition of their efforts to keep the culture and language alive, each of them received their Honorary Doctorate for Doctors of Letters from University of Winnipeg in a special graduation ceremony.
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Agathe Chartrand is a Michif Elder born and raised in St Laurent, Manitoba. She was born in 1940 and went to school at St Laurent School, but had to quit at a young age to work in Winnipeg for many years, before moving back home to take care of her mother.
At a later stage in her life, in 2011, she joined the Michif French Ladies to write the first Michif French Dictionary. The book includes Michif French words, prayers and traditional recipes. Five years later, they self-published the first ever “Michif French Dictionary” at McNally Robinson on Grant in Winnipeg. They did it all with no funding. Now, two ladies in the group have passed away: Patricia Millar-Chartrand and Doris Michalyenko-Leclerc.
The group of ladies taught one class at St Laurent School from grades K-12 with plans on going back in the fall and work with the local Headstart. They also teach crafts, making slippers and mitts and little purses with 100% wool material, as well as beading and embroidery.
They are excited to now be working on translating a musical Riel: Kewr of the North” into Michif French for Michif poet Suzanne Steele-Gaudry and composer Neil Weisensel.
In 2020, they were given recognition for their effort to keep their culture and language alive, and each received their Honorary Doctorate for Doctors of Letters from the University of Winnipeg.
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Video recording of French Michif translator Jules Chartrand recounting his family and personal history.
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Video of J55 being read in French Michif by translator Jules Chartrand. From Act 4, Scene 1.
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Video of J54 being read in French Michif by translator Jules Chartrand. From Act 4, Scene 1.
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Video of J53 being read in French Michif by translator Jules Chartrand. From Act 3, Scene 2.
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Video of J52 being read in French Michif by translator Jules Chartrand. From Act 3, Scene 2.
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Video of J51 being read in French Michif by translator Jules Chartrand. From Act 2, Scene 5.
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Video of J50 being read in French Michif by translator Jules Chartrand. From Act 1, Scene 7.
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Video of J48 being read in French Michif by translator Jules Chartrand. From Act 2, Scene 3.
