Call it what you will, but we've reached a significant moment in the history of Canada's relationship with First Nations, and it's reflected not just in the proliferation of Indigenous music, but also in its mass acceptance by the mainstream. 'To native youth everywhere on Turtle Island, know that this moment, right now, is proof that whatever goals you strive for in life, they're completely attainable, so aim high,' Campeau told the crowd after ATCR's win, the significance clearly not lost on him.Ī resurgence a revolution a renaissance Idle No More. Their submission was steeped in meaning - political, cultural, spiritual. They instead opted for the more mainstream breakthrough category, which, up until their win, was dominated by white rock and pop groups.

The way in which they did it, however, was.ĪTCR, which consists of Ian 'DJ NDN' Campeau, Dan 'DJ Shub' General and Bear Witness, are all young First Nations artists, and the music they make incorporates powwow music with electronic dance music, resulting in a new genre they dubbed 'powwow-step.' However, when they submitted their album Nation II Nation to the Juno Awards, they specifically chose to not submit it to the Aboriginal album category. The fact that ATCR, a trio of DJs from Ottawa, simply won an award - by way of their well-attended live shows, two critically acclaimed, Polaris Prize-nominated albums and international praise - was not surprising or extraordinary. When A Tribe Called Red won the 2014 Juno Award for breakthrough group of the year, it marked an all-too rare moment when an award given out for artistic achievement actually meant something in real life.

'My people will sleep for 100 years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.' - Louis Riel, July 4, 1885 This piece was originally published in 2014.

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