Biography

Laura Langstaff is a Saskatchewan-born Métis descended from the historic Red River Métis community of St. Boniface, Selkirk County, Manitoba.

Laura performs original contemporary Métis folk music written in the ballad tradition of Pierre Falcon, who is a cultural icon of Métis peoples across the Métis Homeland. She released her debut CD entitled Summer Sage in 2002. In the spring of 2009 Moitie, Moitie, an illustrated children’s book and accompanying CD were also released, and shortly thereafter, Medicine Winds, her current full-length CD, which celebrates the spirit and culture of Métis peoples living in Canada.

Summer Sage is a concept created by Langstaff in 1997 to reflect the inherent gifts of mature Aboriginal women in the Arts to an industry focused on youth. Summer Sage has enjoyed a number of manifestations since being inspired by the Aboriginal women’s quintet, Asani, whose founding members were Langstaff, Sherryl Sewpagaham, Donita Large, Debbie Houle and the late Cathy Sewell. Together the women performed at Carnegie Hall in 1997. In 1998, Langstaff, along with musical partners Deb Coulter and Janice Friedel, debuted as Summer Sage and performed at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. The following year Langstaff’s Summer Sage performed at Lillith Fair by invitation. The trio was joined by Cathy Long for that performance.

Since 2002 Langstaff, along with her sister Melissa Hall, have been performing and recording as Summer Sage, entertaining audiences with their genetically matched harmonies and humorous Métis perspectives and anecdotes. The sisters strongly believe that humour and music are two necessary tools in bridging gaps and building bridges of understanding among diverse cultural groups.

Langstaff’s musical credits are impressive and include performances at Carnegie Hall, as well as with Lillith Fair, and Tom Jackson’s production, “Trickster, 2000”, a performance for Health Canada. Since 2007 Langstaff’s activities include performing at the Métis Nation BC National Governance Assembly, on the main stage for National Aboriginal Day in Vancouver, BC, as well as at the North American Indigenous Games (Duncan, BC). Special appearances at the National Michif Conference (Harrison Springs, BC) and the Métis National Council Retreat (Bear Lake, BC) were also on the roster. In 2007 Greg Coyes, producer of television program, The Mix, featured Langstsaff and Summer Sage in one of the episodes, which has aired on APTN repeatedly.