ONTD Original: 10 (More) Indigenous Artists to listen to on July 1!
**TRIGGER WARNING: This post talks about Residential Schools. If you or someone you know is struggling you can contact the 24-hour Residential School survivor hotline - 1-866-925-4419**
Happy July 1st ONTD! What an unspecial, unexciting, nonholiday day! Sadly, the last few months have brought horrific news for Indigenous Peoples in Canada as over 1000 bodies have been found in unmarked graves on or near former residential schools. This has led to many calls for Canada Day celebrations to be cancelled which is why this year's post isn't a Canada Day post - just a July 1st post, celebrating the music of some amazing people.
If you want to know more about Residential Schools, especially the experiences of those who survived it there is an AMAZING original post here which has books from both Canadian and American survivors.
I was planning on making a follow-up to my post from last year already but with the recent news, I decided to focus on songs about Residential Schools and the trauma (especially generational trauma) that still exists today.
I have a Spotify playlist with all these songs as well as hundreds of others if you want to listen. I update it pretty regularly and welcome suggestions! You can also check out my post from last year here.
SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS
Click to viewSnotty Nose Rez Kids are a Haisla hip-hop duo descent from Kitimat, BC composed of rappers Yung Trybez and Young D. They formed in 2016 and have since released three albums. Their music is often political, including a song protesting the Trans Canada Pipeline (The Warriors) and their most recent single "Cops with Guns Are the Worst!!!" They want to create music that is unapologetic and will push boundaries. In an interview last month Yung Trybez said "We just talk about our lived experiences. We're just two Native dudes from the rez in Northwest B.C. And in our culture, all the knowledge we have is shared knowledge … our music is like a young, wild and free kind of thing... On the outside, we might look rough around the edges, but we're protected by our people.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Boujee Natives, Creator Made an Animal, Something Else
JAYLI WOLF
Jayli Wolf is an actress and musician who uses her music as a way of reclaiming her heritage. Earlier this year one of her TikTok's went viral where she explains that her father was part of the "60s scoop," how she was put in a foster home and raised in a doomsday cult that instilled guilt and shame around her bisexuality and depression and how she is now able to reclaim her heritage. "All the children that were misplaced can never get back what was stolen from them. Survivors try their best. My dad and I are lucky because we were able to find our way back home to our blood family, to our community, to each other even. But that’s not the story for everyone."
ALSO CHECK OUT: Would You Die?, Hush, Bleed Like Us
MIKE BERN
Mike Bern is a singer and songwriter from Tobique First Nation, New Brunswick. Before starting a solo career he was part of award-winning bands Kickin Krotch and District Avenue. His music is noted for having both purity and pain. In the Youtube description for the above song he says "The song is about the experience my Aunt and Uncles went through in the Shubenacadie Residential School. Wolastoqey Language is sung "Apatapasiq Wasisok" Children come home. Dedicated to my family and all the Residential School Survivors."
ALSO CHECK OUT: Waponahkew, First Mother
nêhiyawak
nêhiyawak is a trio from Treaty 6 Territory. They bring traditional storytelling and contemporary sound together. Their name name name refers directly to their nêhiyaw ancestry - is a spirited expression of Indigeneity in the modern world.
ALSO CHECK OUT: somnambulist, starlight, kisiskâciwanisîpiy pêyak
CHERYL BEAR
Cheryl Bear is Nadleh Whut’en from the Dakelh Nation and Dumdenyoo Clan. In addition to her music, she has travelled to over 600 Indigenous communities across Canada and the United States to share her stories. She also works with non-Indigenous audiences to teach and help them understand her history and culture. Sadly I couldn't find her music on Spotify but you can find a lot of her songs on youtube!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Story, New Warriors
EDWARD GAMBLIN
Edward Gamblin (1948-2010) was a member of the Cree people and one of the most influential early stars of Indigenous music. He was sent to a residential school as a child before leaving. He eventually returned to school to complete grade 12 and went on to become an addictions counsellor in addition to his music. In his later years, he became an activist for healing and reconciliation and wrote the above song as part of that. Sadly in 2008, he had an accident on stage which led to an infection and needing to have his leg amputated. His health continued to decline until he passed away a few years later.
ALSO CHECK OUT: You're My Everything, Don't Blame it On the Rain, Soldier Blue
INDIAN CITY
Indian City is a pop-rock group formed by Eagle & Hawk member Vince Fontaine. It is a rating collective of musicians which has been described as "a sort of Indigenous version of Broken Social Scene." The song Here and Now was originally released in 2017 but when the news of the 215 bodies being uncovered in Kelowna came out they re-released the song now titled "Here and Now (215)." Fontaine said “I know people who were there. You can only imagine the deep loneliness of children who were 7, 8, 9 years old and younger who were taken away from their families. The song expresses the kind of innocent emotion that the children must have felt. We wrote this song for our ‘Here & Now’ album, which was released in 2017. This was the year of Canada’s 150th anniversary when there was a spotlight on Indigenous history and issues such as the residential schools.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Through the Flood, One Day, Seasons
PAINT THE TOWN RED
Paint the Town Red is a hip-hop group made up of rappers YellowWolf and Barndawg, vocalist Addie Elliot and DJ Goadman. I couldn't find much about the group but the song was inspired by students at the Lau Wel New Tribal School.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Westcoasted, Get Wild, No Tomorrow
N'WE JINAN ARTISTS
N'we Jinan Artists is an incredible initiative that is committed to amplifying the voices of Indigenous youth and provides them with the tools to make and create. They help validate the experiences of young people and give them the platform, tools and training to share their stories. Their name is James Bay (Eastern) Cree for "we live here." To date, more than 900 youth have participated in their music program across 60 communities resulting in 140 songs and videos with 20 million views on youtube. You can find out more about them and their other programs here.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Home to Me, Echo My Soul, We Won't Forget
RICHARD POULETTE
Richard Poulette was one half of the folk duo Morning Star. For 44 years they travelled across Canada sharing songs and stories in English and Mi'kmaq. Forgiveness tells the story of his late friend and singing partner Alex (Pi’kun) Poulette, who went to one of the residential schools and describes how deeply the experience affected him. The song also asks the listener to forgive others. In 2019 National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra commissioned Métis composer Ian Cusson to do a full orchestral version of the song.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Pow Wow Boogie, A Long Time Ago, Kojua
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
If you would like to help survivors of Residential Schools please consider making a donation if you can to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society or purchasing a shirt from Orange Shirt Day (which will be on September 30).