Martin Dumont Interview

Martin Dumont was interviewed in Duck Lake. Martin came from a family farm, and worked for other farmers as well. He recounts wages and work conditions among Métis threshers. They hunted, raised livestock, and had an edible garden. His parents had ten children. According to Martin, the church promoted large families. He attended school at St. Laurent, as well as his father. Dances were spaces for socialization and leisure, where elders sang songs with the fiddle players. Softball was the most popular game. Christiany had a huge impact on society, and the competition among Protestant and Catholic churches impacted Métis communities. From 1907 to 1939, Dr. Touchette was the only available doctor in Duck Lake and St. Laurent. Martin’s extended family practiced medicine, benefitting from a local midwife’s work. During the Depression, cutting cord wood was the only available job. Martin recalls episodes of solidarity among the community. He compares the characters of Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont. --------------------- Keywords: Employment, Religion, Healthcare, Women and Gender, Land use (Subsistence Patterns)