The Metis Nation of Ontario’s Cultural Commission is a “not-for-profit corporation created to preserve and promote Métis history, values, traditions and pride in Métis arts, culture and heritage.” After being inactive for years, the Cultural Commission has now been revived by Metis beader, and Region 4 Councilor, Mitch Case. To celebrate the reactivation of the Cultural Commision and the newly established Kooshkopayiw Metis Arts Council, a fundraising event was held at the Midland Cultural Centre on April 11.

The Awaken Your Spirit, fundraiser for Kooshkopayiw, which is Michif for awaken, was held by Shop Metis in partnership with the Georgian Bay Metis Council. The event featured an art exhibit of Metis artists, vendors from Metis businesses featured on Shop Metis, and a musical performance by Metis Fiddle Champion Alex Kusturok, who just got out of the Tragically Hip studio recording his latest album. Matt Lemay, a director for Indigenous Geographic, was also in attendance to preview his latest documentary on Metis music.

While everyone was joyously slapping their knees and tapping their toes to the music, President of Kooshkopayiw George Simard took to the stage to remind the audience the purpose of the evening. “My mission is to bring a platform to the artists in your community, and the community beside you, and the community beside that,” says Simard.

President Simard invited the audience to attend the first Kooshkopayiw Metis Arts Council Region 7 Art Crawl event in Gravenhurst at the Muskoka Discovery Centre on April 27 from 9am to 4pm.