It was 20 years ago when St. Laurent was first put on a global stage, and local Jacinthe Lambert celebrated that a couple weeks ago.
From June 26 to July 1, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian celebrated 20 years since its opening, and Lambert was there. During the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Indigenous Voices of the Americas celebrated the museum and its first 20 years.
Lambert has been involved with the National Museum of the American Indian since 2000 when the museum’s then-curator came to the people of St. Laurent wanting to showcase Metis culture. Five locals got together to make the Metis exhibit, Lambert one of them, and they decided to showcase Metis culture in each of the four seasons.
“We wanted our story to be told the way it really was,” said Lambert.
Through filmed interviews, the life the Metis people of St. Laurent live was shown in winter, spring, summer, and fall, winter being the main focus to showcase the importance of commercial ice fishing in the community. The Michif language was also shown, along with a few artifacts and other items with cultural significance.
After working on the exhibit for four years, the National Museum of the American Indian opened in 2004, and more than 150 people from St. Laurent made the trek to Washington, DC to attend the grand opening. Among them was Lambert and the eight, 10, and 12-year-old Gaudry Boys.
The Metis exhibit created by St. Laurent residents was on display at the National Museum of the American Indian for 11 years, compared to the typical five to 10 years a permanent display is shown. According to the Smithsonian, in that time, more than 17,500,000 people visited the National Museum of the American Indian.
“20 years ago, when that happened it changed our lives,” said Lambert. “How can that not change you?”
This year marks 20 years since the museum opened. At the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the National Museum of the American Indian celebrated the milestone, and museum officials asked Lambert to attend. Before accepting her invite, though, Lambert made sure there was room in the festival program for the Gaudry Boys to perform — and there was, so they did, coming full circle as they played for the crowds.
The festival featured more than 250 participants from 60 Indigenous communities across the USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Each day of the festival, Lambert and other invited guests did a presentation on their communities, cultures, and lives. She noted similarities between Metis lfe and that of Indigenous people in South America, awestruck at the similar lives they’ve lived despite their geographical locations.
“It’s almost like we could join in because it’s everything we’ve experienced here. Itmade me realize that we’re all going through the same thing,” she said. “It’s not just us. It’s so many people.”
Lambert said the director of the National Museum of the American Indian is planning a trip to St. Laurent for some time later this year, and she’s looking forward to showing them the community.
“This put St. Laurent on the map,” said Lambert. “It was a journey I’ll never forget.”
Lambert is hoping more opportunities like this will arise for Indigenous Peoples and their communities. Sharing stories, she said, is how we break the cycle and make real change.
“We just have to keep going and sharing our stories,” said Lambert. “I’m feeling that things are changing a little bit at a time. We just have to keep sharing.”
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