"Recently, I have been telling stories and singing songs to school children. When I ask the groups gathered before me how many of them are Métis, I am pleased to see hands rise. There was once a dark and difficult time when this would not happen. It is to those generations who could not raise their hands that this recording is dedicated." Don Freed
"This
collection of songs by Don Freed is rich with history,
passion and the essence of what it means to be a proud
Métis. Don takes us on a journey through hope and
despair, resistance and renewal, and celebration. "The
Valley of Green and Blue" is sure to become an important
legacy to Métis history and
culture. As a Métis artist,
Don Freed has made a contribution that will be cherished
for generations to come. " Karon
Shmon, Gabriel Dumont Institute
"In just 65 minutes,
veteran Canadian singer/songwriter Don Freed tells the
tale of an entire people, from origin to present day,
in a thoroughly researched, wonderfully humanist history
of the Métis and the Red River Settlement. The
scope and magnitude of this project is almost unfathomable
— work began with a small grant in 1991 —
yet Freed manages the journey from beginning to end in
just 15 songs, culminating with a breathtaking singalong
of When This Valley (considered by some to be the Métis
national anthem) at the old church in Batoche, Sask. This
musical trek, which encompasses folk, roots, blues, jigs
and reels, begins in the 17th century and touches on the
fur-trade wars, the first settlements at Red River, the
massacre at Seven Oaks, the politics of ‘Manitobah,’
the tale of Louis Riel and Sir John A. Macdonald, and
the struggle of a people without a home. Along the way
we meet many remarkable characters, from the first man
named ‘Sansregret’ to Gabriel Dumont and his
rifle, ‘Le Petit.’ Aided and abetted by a
star-studded cast of local roots and bluegrass players,
from Dan Frechette to Sierra Noble to four-fifths of The
Duhks, the thin-voiced but always passionate Freed has
created a masterpiece of musical storytelling. How he’ll
recreate this live is anybody’s guess — but
I’d love to see him try."
John Kendle
Uptown Magazine Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
CD only
1. Allons, Pontbriard! MP3 clip
2. Mothers and Fathers
3. Mijakamijikok
4. Daughters of the Country MP3 clip
5. Bittersweet Oaks
6. The Raisin o’ the Kilt
7. Losing Freedom
8. Jews, Gypsies and the Half-Caste Man
9. ‘Ti’ Hyacinthe
10. Ride, Gabriel, Ride! Full MP3
11. 1885
12. One Year Gone
13. Duck Lake
14. The Ballad of Johnny Sansregret
15. When This Valley
Available soon as a poster, can be signed by Don Freed. Watch here for details.
"The Valley of Green and Blue"
“Our Very Own Songs”
“Singing About the Métis”
“Mystery Boyz”