Current News Articles
This page includes interviews and showcases of Indigenous artists in news and social media.
As the following articles are not from an academic perspective, we encourage students who would like to use these resources in their papers and studies to go to the primary source the news article is quoting. Need help learning how to do this? Email us or come into the library to speak with a librarian for more help!
- 'Keep Speaking the Language,' Says Juno-nominated Inuk Musician Riit(CBC) Her album, ataataga, tackles everything from breakups, and the Me Too movement, to intergenerational trauma. While some of the themes are universal, Riit hopes her music will highlight her unique Inuit perspective, which in part she does by singing exclusively in Inuktitut.
- 'We Needed Positivity': Online Jigging Competitions Mixing Traditional Dance with Modern Tech(CBC) Concerns about the coronavirus cancelled traditional competitions, but that isn't going to stop dancers from sharing their culture. Online jigging competitions have started on Facebook in multiple Saskatchewan communities.
- 'You Can't Unsee What You've Seen': Why iskwē's Music is Political By NatureThe Winnipeg-born, Hamilton-based musician's latest release, Acākosīk, is political because, as iskwē explained, her very existence as a Cree and Métis person is political.
- 60 Years of Indigenous Music Game ChangersSince 1994, the Indigenous Music award has been given to many different artists across all genres. It has also gone through numerous name changes and, in 2020, is changing once more to Indigenous artist or group of the year. The intention is to shift the focus away from a specific album or recorded piece of music to instead consider the broader work of an artist or group.
- How an Indigenous Music Residency 'Changed Everything' for Celeigh Cardinal(CBC) Cardinal's album is nominated for the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year. The artwork for the album was shot from her downtown apartment, with many of the songs written on the piano right beside the couch on the cover art.
- How the Indigenous Community Is Using Dance as a Way to Heal(Vogue) This past week, indigenous dancers across North America started their own movement, uploading their special cultural dances to uplift communities around the world. Their dances, which are typically performed at powwow ceremonies or as a competitive sport, included a variety of styles, from hoop dancing to jingle dress dancing.
- Indigenous Music Contributed Almost $80M To Canada's GDP in 2018(CBC) Some of the key findings of NIMIS show that Indigenous music contributed a total of almost $78 million to Canada’s economy (GDP) and supports more than 3,000 full-time positions across the country. The main source of direct economic impact is money paid to or generated by individuals.
- An Oral History of the Indigenous Music Juno Award Category(CBC) From the first pitch and the first win, through countless milestones, life-changing moments and inspiring stories, to the divided opinions about its very existence and its future, this is the oral history of the Juno Award category for Indigenous music album of the year.
- Roots and Shoots with Cris DerksenPresented by the Chan Centre as part of the Roots and Shoots Music Education Program, Cree cellist and composer Cris Derksen performs some favourite pieces and discusses her work in a special digital edition of the Roots and Shoots Music Education Program, produced by the Chan Centre annually as a resource for Vancouver area schools.
- Lil'wat artist Russell Wallace releases groundbreaking new album in St'át'imc language(CBC) Lil'wat artist Russell Wallace's new album is not only a nod to his own personal history and his family's history, but it is a way of making the St'át'imc language more accessible.
News
The following is a list of news sources to refer to for current information:
Social Media
Hashtags (#) are one way people use social media to share and stay up to date on current events. Many Indigenous musicians and dancers do not use tags like #indigenousmusic, #aboriginalmusic or #indigenousdance, but there are some news articles that come up under those tabs.
To find examples of dances and presentations at pow wows throughout North America, use the #powwow hashtag.
The Social Distance Powwow is a movement that began on Facebook because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Many dancers, singers, and vendors have suffered because of the cancellation of community gatherings, so this space was created to be support and encourage each other.
Organizations Supporting Indigenous Arts
- imagineNativeimagineNATIVE presents the world’s largest Indigenous film festival, a national Tour focused on reconciliation, as well as the Institute among many other initiatives throughout the year. imagineNATIVE is one of the leading arts organizations in Canada and won the highly competitive and prestigious Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (Ontario) in 2018 (finalist in 2009 and 2015).
They have professional development and funding opportunities available. - Canada Council for the Arts's Creating, Knowing & Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis PeoplesThis program supports Indigenous individuals, groups, Indigenous-led arts organizations and arts/cultural sector development organizations that foster a vital and resilient Indigenous arts ecosystem.
Festivals and Yearly Events
- Adäka Cultural FestivalThe Adäka Cultural Festival, whose name means ‘coming into the light’ in the Southern Tutchone language, shines a light on the arts and culture of Yukon First Nations.
- Montreal's First Peoples Festival/Le Festival Présence autochtoneThe Aboriginal Presence Festival is a creation of Terres en vues, a society for the dissemination of Aboriginal culture. A yearly event with awards and concerts for Indigenous musicians and artists.
- Talking Stick FestivalA full 2-week Festival held annually in February at locations across Vancouver that attracts over 20,000 attendees each year and is noted as being the premier, multi-disciplinary Indigenous arts festival in North America.
- Innu Nikamu Festival/ Le Festival Innu NikamuThe Innu Nikamu Festival was founded in 1984 as a four day family friendly celebration of the music and dance of the surrounding nations in Northern Quebec.
- Migration Music FestivalCurrently offering online music concerts due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Migration Music Festival will be an on-going event and organization, with an annual festival occurring in the summer months. With the core values of sustainability and responsibility, an emphasis will be placed on leaving the land better than when attendees arrived. As it’s namesake suggests, Migration has the potential to change locations annually opening up opportunities for land exploration to draw attendees. Based in Calgary, Alberta.