do you believe in magic? well, chanelle munroe does!
This Red River Métis magician has broken ground on workshops, agencies, and a magic camp, all while performing her magic act for communities across the Homeland, making their lives a bit more magical.
Heritage is important to Munroe. The magician was raised multiculturally, and honours both her Jewish, Cree, and Red River Métis identity.
"My Métis side is something that my mom always educated me about. She always raised me in the tradition, taught me things," she said. "I remember for Christmas, my uncle would show up and play the fiddle, and we'd all be doing the Red River Metis jig together. My grandpa would always tell stories about the old times. Upholding those traditions and keeping on with those family values."
Munroe likes to blend her passion for her heritage and magic. The Red River Metis magician enjoys incorporating her Indigenous roots into her linking hula hoop routine.
"It's two hoops that I hold up, and they're disconnected, and one of the circles is representative of the Indigenous world, and the other hoop or circle is the non-Indigenous world," she said, "And so, I'll hold them up in a sideways figure 8, which is the same thing as the Métis flad, and then after a little bit of dance and a little bit of magic, the two hoops suddenly become interconnected. (From there) I take a minute to talk about reconciliation and how these two worlds can coexist with each other in harmony
The Red River Métis performer reflected on how travelling for her magic show has helped her feel connected to her ancestry.
"I'd always heard these stories growing up about our family lineage from Churchill, and I was blessed enough to be invited to Churchill this year, twice now, to do my magic show. It felt like a coming home just being on that land at the Hudson Bay. There is a deep remembering in my bones," she said.
Munroe takes performance inspiration from theatre figure Floyd Favel Star,r who opened her perspective on performing to an indigenous way of thought.
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