Pierre Falcon: The songwriter who helped forge a Métis identity

Pierre Falcon’s “Chanson de la Grenouillère (Gournouillère)” became an enduring anthem in the fight for a Métis national identity.

Pierre Falcon wrote poems and ballads that recount the events and experiences of early Métis settlers. Falcon’s ballads were sung on the Prairies by the Métis and were carried throughout Canada by voyageurs. Songs were sung around campfires and in communities as a way to celebrate victories and memorialize leaders.