BRANDON, MB – The history of the Métis will be discussed during an upcoming conference entitled “From Pierre-Esprit Radisson to Louis Riel: voyageurs et Métis”. Along with colleagues from the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, Université Laval, York University, University of British Columbia, Ottawa University, and the Centre du patrimoine de Saint-Boniface, several Brandon University faculty members will be collaborating to mark the 300th anniversary of Radisson’s passing as well as the 125th anniversary of Riel’s trial and hanging. Furthermore, 2010 has been named The Year of the Métis, giving the conference even more impetus.
One of the BU delegates, Dr. Denis Combet, an associate professor of French, writes: “It made a lot of sense to have a conference celebrating two very controversial individuals in Canadian history as well as to include the roles of the Voyageurs and the Métis in the Western part of the country.” Dr. Combet has published several books on the subject of the Voyageurs and the Métis, and is currently working on a book about Louis Riel.
Joining him for this gathering of Métis scholars will be Dr. Joseph Sawchuk of the Anthropology department, who has done extensive research about the Métis, Dr. Lynn Whidden, a musicologist who has specialized in voyageur and Métis music, Cathy Mattes, a visual arts lecturer, curator and Métis art historian, Karen Doty-Sweetnam, an assistant professor from the Pshychiatric Nursing department who is of Métis heritage, and Dr. Kelly Saunders of the Political Science department.
“It’s great that we’re working with Collège universitaire St-Boniface,” said Dr. Bruce Strang, the Dean of Arts at BU, who will also be on hand at the event. “It’s great that this conference is located in Manitoba, which is such an important historical part of the Métis people and Métis culture.”
This conference, which takes place from November 18 to 20 at the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) as well as from the Métis National Council.
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For more information, please contact:
Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communication Officer
Brandon University
P: (204) 727-9762
communications@brandonu.ca
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