Only my eldest and I went this year. She went for the cabane a sucre and the toboggan slide,not the least bit interested in her heritage. I love Festival. I love how people speak to me in French and I love that I can still (usually) understand it. I loved visiting the cabins and hearing the stories of the fur traders and the Red River Settlement. We watched a woman give a demonstration on how to make pemmican. Knowing that my ancestors prepared and ate this made the demonstration all the more meaningful to me. The awkward moment came when I approached a speaker who gave a talk on Louis Reil . When I realized he was the author of the book Red River Rebellion, I just had to tell him my news. In his book he made a few pretty good references of Captain George Fortney. He was jailed for fighting against the Metis. He was also tried with the notorious Thomas Scott for attempting to drown their employer. Basically an unsavory character.. So when I approached the author and told him I am the great-great-great grandaughter of Captain George Fortney, Professeur Bumstead gave me the blankest of stares . He must have wondered what the heck I was doing at a Metis festival and why I would come forward to admit this. I never had the chance to tell him Captain George Fortney had a Metis 'country wife' and that I am a result of that union. It was truly embarrassing.
Oh my God, this is hilarious. I would never have linked the Cpt. George thing and you being at a Metis festival, duh on my part. This author must have been spinning, either that, or he forgot who Cpt. George was in his book! Ha ha. Wish we could have been there...
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