This week, I want to keep the momentum going on my promises from last week to share more music from Indigenous and Black musicians as well as resources for equality and racial justice. This playlist features Indigenous musicians from across Canada from groundbreaking 60s musicians like Willie Thrasher and Buffy Sainte-Marie to newer sounds from the likes of A Tribe Called Red,the velvety smooth voice of William Prince and more. Like Canadian music,Indigenous music is not a genre in and of itself,you'll notice a real range of sounds, all beautiful in their own right. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did putting it together. More below!
I also want to throw a book recommendation out there to you while I'm at it. I just finished From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle and it was a seriously stunning read. Exploring Thistle's own life story, From the Ashes tackles system racism towards Indigenous peoples, homelessness and drug addiction. It's full of tragedy and hope. I strongly recommend you pick up a copy.
A resource to learn more
As a jumping off point, this timeline from CBC of 60 Years of Indigenous Music Game Changers. It's easy to digest and tells some great stories along the way. Of course, I encourage you to push yourself to learn much more than this, but it is a nice place to start.
A resource to help
I'd also like to highlight the charity True North Aid this week who works to support Indigenous communities in Northern Canada and has options to both donate and get involved in their projects.