When Wemindji’s 65th anniversary concerts kicked off August 28 with a night of hip-hop, it not only signalled the enduring popularity of rap in the Cree Nation but also the influential vision of Steve Einish. The driving force behind Nomad Entertainment, which organized the event, the artist also known as KONG spent his summer sharing stages with some of hip-hop’s biggest names.
Yintah is not just a documentary; it’s a powerful statement on Indigenous struggles for sovereignty over unceded territories. The film centres on the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s fight against colonial encroachment, illustrating a fierce resistance against a Canadian government intent on seizing land for fossil fuel development. The 22,000 square kilometres of Wet’suwet’en land has never been surrendered, sold or legally placed under Canadian authority.
Jade Mukash, a 25-year-old artist and youth advocate from Whapmagoostui, has made her community proud by winning the Traditional Knowledge Award at the first-ever Miss Indigenous Canada pageant.
The 17th Annual Wabun Youth Gathering was held in Mattagami July 15-19 for over 38 First Nation youth. The week-long event was organized by the Wabun Tribal Council Health Department with the support of the tribal council’s six member nations.
Could “America’s Next Top Hitmaker” be a Cree gangsta rapper? On June 25, Hank “Jigap” Visitor learned that he’d been selected for the popular contest run by Rolling Stone magazine. The winner will receive $10,000, a concert showcase in Austin, Texas, and a mentoring session with hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes.
Kahnawake was the place to be July 13-14, as the 32nd Echoes of a Proud Nation Pow-Wow danced and drummed its way into the record books with over 20,000 people coming together to celebrate Mohawk traditions. Blistering temperatures over 30 degrees did nothing to discourage the crowds. Iced strawberry juice was in high demand as people eagerly soaked up a spectacular 48-hour event where the sunshine and celebration seemed infinite.
For Mattmac’s highly collaborative third album, All Eyes on Us, the award-winning Oji-Cree trap-pop musician worked with 15 Indigenous artists from across Turtle Island to create a powerful statement that apans the spectrum of hip-hop and its numerous sub-genres.
The theme of roots is ever-present in the work of documentary filmmaker Janine Windolph. Roots tie Windolph’s family to their land, their Indigenous heritage, their ancestry, and one another. Through cataloguing the experiences of her kin, her intensely personal documentaries speak to the collective memory of Indigenous peoples. Film becomes her conduit for remembrance.
Red Fever, the newest documentary from Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond and co-director Catherine Bainbridge, explores the roots of cultural appropriation to reveal the profound influence of Indigenous cultures on the world’s fashion, sports, arts and even politics.
Cree students overcame jittery nerves May 22 to make powerful speeches at a public-speaking contest.
