Growing up in Spruce Grove, Lisa Shepherd was aware of her Metis ancestry but she didn’t realize the extent of her family’s connection to Jasper until she danced at the raising of the Two Brothers totem pole in Jasper in 2011. There, she learned that she is the first cousin (three times removed) of well-known Jasperite and historical figure Suzette Swift.
Before, Shepherd never knew why she was drawn to beading or how she acquired the talent. She made the instant connection to Swift because of her beading skills.
Now residing in B.C., Shepherd returned to Jasper on March 27 and 28 to share some Métis art and culture at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives. She uses her post-secondary education in garment design to construct contemporary creations with traditional beadwork. Displaying her modern take on the bandolier, a bag worn across one shoulder, she explained, “It’s using really traditional-style beadwork, but on a modern-day bag. And it has zippers.”
Shepherd also dances the traditional Métis jig and taught the moves to a small group of Jasperites while Monika Schaefer provided musical accompaniment. Shepherd rounded everyone up in a tight circle and shared the secret to successful jigging.
“[The secret] is really easy to remember,” she whispered. “There’s no wrong way to jig.”
Having been approached by people who have told her that they’re “only 10 per cent Métis or 10 per cent of another culture,” Shepherd challenges the idea of labelling our cultural identity with fractions or percentages.
“It’s almost like that’s something that’s been taught and I find that when it’s put that way people don’t think that they have the right to identify with that culture and they don’t have the right to learn about that.”
As Shepherd learned firsthand, delving into family history and culture led to a firmer understanding of her roots. Establishing a connection to her ancestors has also helped others uncover their families’ stories.
“It was just like taking a big puzzle piece of my family and fitting it into place. And since then so many other pieces have fallen into place that have helped me to get back our story.”
More information about Shepherd and samples of her work are available at www.lisashepherd.ca.
