The Long Way
Teton County
A detailed wooden model of a stagecoach with horses sits on a table indoors.
Plate I. Hand-carved stagecoach, Métis Heritage Festival. From choteauacantha.com
A group of five musicians play acoustic instruments indoors beneath flags.
Plate II. Musicians performing, Métis Heritage Festival. From choteauacantha.com
A detailed wooden model of a stagecoach with six horses rests on a table indoors.
Plate III. Wooden stagecoach display, Métis Heritage Festival. From choteauacantha.com
A man speaks into a microphone while another man sits nearby indoors.
Plate IV. Speakers at the Métis Heritage Festival. From choteauacantha.com

Métis Heritage Festival

Choteau, Teton County, Montana. Old-time and folk music; June.

Details

Map. Choteau, Teton County, Montana. Larger map
Where
204 1st St. NE, Choteau, MT 59422. Directions
When
Annual; held June 12-13 as the ninth annual.
Fees
Free admission.
Phone
406-466-2510
Managed by
Wanda Moran, Kathy Moran, Al Wiseman and others, organized in Choteau.

Métis people gathered in Choteau June 12-13 at the ninth annual Métis Heritage Festival to remember, celebrate and preserve the history and culture of their people.

Notable Events

  1. 2018The Mitchif Heritage Keepers sponsored a Montana Metis Music and Art Fest at the Choteau Pavilion in Choteau on June 8-10, with art and craft booths, a raffle and auction, concessions, a historic program and music. choteauacantha.com
  2. 2020The Métis people could not gather in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. choteauacantha.com
  3. 2021The Mitchif Heritage Keepers Art and Music Fest in Choteau July 30-Aug. 1 brought together Métis people who had not visited since 2019 for hugs and tears, Indian tacos and bannock, old-time fiddle music and memories. choteauacantha.com
  4. 2023Kathy Moran added a storytelling event to draw the audience into the program, and it was a success. choteauacantha.com
  5. 2025A $6,000 Chickadee Community Services grant let Kathy Moran add more publicity for the festival. choteauacantha.com

People

  • Al Wiseman, organizer of the Choteau gathering.
  • Chris La Tray, Métis elder and Montana author, festival guest speaker.
  • Jamie Fox, Métis fiddle player from Harlem who performed at the festival.
  • Anna East, director of the nonprofit Chickadee Community Services, which supported the festival.
  • Julie Acheson, festival organizer.
  • Kathy Moran, festival organizer.
  • Wanda Nichol, festival organizer.
  • Fred “Jiggs” Charette, organizer of the festival and member of the Mitchif Heritage Keepers board.

Sources

  1. choteauacantha.com/news/article_920dae07-4fbb-439d-8041-89c9390a99b3.html
  2. wildwingschoteau.org/schedule
  3. choteauchamber.com/frequently-asked-questions
  4. choteauacantha.com/news/article_2656a732-68f7-11e8-91fa-7745b7fedbf0.html
  5. choteauacantha.com/news/article_d6130fa0-f565-11eb-8316-1778a4259913.html
  6. choteauacantha.com/news/article_dea577fa-04a6-11ee-ab6b-434b8ee5bc4b.html
  7. choteauacantha.com/news/article_a8a04da6-2836-11ef-8b51-bfb9d3f89304.html
  8. choteauacantha.com/news/article_d2fc1a9c-7ce5-4978-be5c-815ed8a5665b.html
  9. choteauacantha.com/news/article_920dae07-4fbb-439d-8041-89c9390a99b3.html
  10. moniquegiroux.com/news/2018/6/18/mtis-music-and-art-festival-2018-choteau-montana
  11. centralmontana.com/events/m%C3%A9tis-heritage-festival