OUR MUSIC
In 1804, the North West Company brought voyageurs, proprietors, interpreters, and clerks into the Rocky Mountain district near the present town of Jasper, Alberta. A new culture, traditions, and a way of life was born.
The Mountain Métis, a horseback culture emerged from this unique blend of Iroquois, French and Scottish bloodlines. Various instruments such as the fiddle, guitar and drum were used in shaping the Mountain Metis’ music and dance.
As an example, “Ancestors Calling” shares the rich culture through music and stories of award-winning musician Laura Vinson; a descendent of the early voyageur Louis Loyer.
Laura Vinson and Dave Martineau of People & Peaks Productions, were nominated for the Best Original Musical Score (non-fiction over 30 minutes) for Ancestors Calling, by the 2015 Alberta Film and Television Rosie Awards. Ancestors Calling was also included in the “BEST OF” the Jasper Short Film Festival in 2014. The full documentary is 44:27 minutes. It was Produced and Directed by Susan Feddema-Leonard.
Alvin Findlay and the Muskeg River Band, along with Laura Vinson and Free Spirit combined their talents to create a commemorative CD of Mountain Métis Music. The short movie features a 6:49 minute music production with songs about their ancestors, who are the unsung heroes of the Canadian fur trade.
This short vignette is a medley of music clips, which were written for the “Long Road Home.” A historical documentary has also been produced featuring the “Long Road Home” historic packtrip, which took 35 people and 75 head of horses from Grande Cache to Jasper during the summer of 2009. The documentary, along with the Mountain Métis Music CD are educational tools to help people learn about the unique mountain culture on Alberta’s eastern slopes.