Nick Sibbeston
Nick Sibbeston, Chairman of the Metis Association at the Second Annual General Assembly at Roaring Rapids Hall in Fort Smith, NT 1974 NWT Archives, Native Communications Society fonds - Native Press photograph collection, accession number N-2018-010, item number 2213.
Nick Sibbeston grew up in Liidli Kue, Fort Simpson NT surrounded by traditional Metis fiddle and Country and Western music, performed by the Lafferty, Sibbeston and McPherson families at community square dances in the 1950s.
Nick’s first instrument was a mail order “Palm Beach” acoustic guitar. In Nick’s words:
“So that’s where I started learning how to play the chords and spent hours and hours and hours with my cousins behind our house in the grass, in the shade, playing and singing.”
One of those cousins was Peter Lafferty who mentored Nick on guitar.
He played a lot of guitar with his friends at residential schools in Fort Simpson, Inuvik, Fort Smith and Yellowknife.
In Yellowknife, at Akaitcho Hall, Nick was a member of “The Arctic Ramblers.”
After a music filled youth, he dedicated his life to public service and today, still plays guitar for his church community in Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson NT.
Akaitcho Hall Students' Band Arctic Ramblers. L-R: Harvey McLure, Richard Lafferty, Bill Bourque, Gordy Cardinal (singer), Alfred Lockhart (drummer), Danny Macdonald, Isadore Tourangeau, Nick Sibbeston. Yellowknife, NT. 1961/62. NWT Archives, Akaitcho Hall collection, accession number N-2000-002, item number 0029.
Akaitcho Hall Student Band the ‘Arctic Ramblers’. 1961-1962. NWT Archives, Akaitcho Hall collection, accession number N-2000-002, item number 0005.
Akaitcho Hall Student Band the ‘Arctic Ramblers’. 1960-1961. NWT Archives, Akaitcho Hall collection, accession number N-2000-002, item number 0006.
Senator Nick Sibbeston and Métis Elder Oliver Boulette performing at Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations. United Nations, New York, New York, US. May 2016. (photo © Métis National Council)
