French-Canadian Heritage Day

Join us for this year’s French-Canadian Heritage Day at the Detroit Historical Museum! We’ll have FREE family-friendly activities and presentations starting at 11 a.m. in Wrigley Hall on the museum’s lower level.

12 noon: Award-winning storyteller Debra Christian will bring the tales of the French Voyageurs to life. Dr. Christian comes from a strong background of stories; Michigan history filled her home as a child, and she has traveled the routes of the French Voyageurs from the trading post of what is now Detroit to the far north of Hudson Bay. During her presentation, she weaves her historical tales of the French Voyageurs, the fur trapping trade and the folklore of a time from the past.

1 p.m.: Enjoy a special presentation by members of the French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan that will track the geographical development of Detroit through land concessions from the time of Cadillac to the coming of British rule. Specific land contracts and the names of the owners will be mentioned, and maps contemporary to the different phases of land grants will be part of the visuals shown.

3 p.m.: Singer/songwriter Alexandre Belliard will perform "Légendes d’un peuple," blending folk music, history, poetry and tales about the establishment of francophones in America. Songs will be sung in French with time for discussion in English between songs. Belliard is native of Montréal (Quebec) and has been singing and writing songs professionally for almost 20 years. Learn more about him and his project here: www.legendesdunpeuple.quebec

Presented with support from the Québec Consulate