Métis woman teaches kids to love the culture — but her own daughter surprised her
CBC
Felice Gladue has a deep passion for sharing her Métis culture with children, but she says for a brief time, her own kids were her toughest audience.
Felice, whose Métis ancestry comes from St. Laurent, Man., began sharing her culture with children while working for Aboriginal Head Start, a preschool program for Indigenous kids, more than two decades ago.
"I just feel such a great connection and a great sense of joy to be able to share with others about the Métis people," she said.
About a decade ago she founded Metis ALIVE, a company based in Beaumont, Alta., (just south of Edmonton) to help share Métis history and traditions in schools and the community.
But while she's been helping other children learn about Métis culture, Felice said she "dragged" her own kids around to events and programs to immerse them in it.
"There's a point where they're kind of like those teenagers where they don't want to do anything," Felice said.
Willow Gladue, now 16, agrees with that assessment.
"I remember hating having to go to all the events and stuff and having to say hi to people all the time," Willow said.
During the pandemic that changed, the teen said. She heard about a jigging contest with prize money.
"I was like, 'Oh, I can make that much money for jigging?" she said, and asked her mom if she could take part in the virtual competition.
Felice said she was skeptical.
"I'm like, 'Well, you need to learn,'" she remembers saying.
She said she thought she would need to teach Willow the steps.
However, after growing up around it, Willow says she knew what to do.
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