When 16-year-old Adrian Sutherland in the isolated Cree community of Attawapiskat borrowed a harmonica from an Elder, he fashioned a homemade harness using a coat-hanger, two sticks and elastic bands, and set out to learn Neil Young’s Heart of Gold. Little did he know that 26 years later, his own musical journey would come full…
We would like to recognize Air Creebec for being an ongoing part of our success. The regional airline based in Waskaganish, with main bases in Val-d’Or, Montreal and Timmins, Air Creebec operates regularly scheduled flights, charter and freight services to 16 destinations in Quebec and Ontario. With Adrian Sutherland living in Attawapiskat, and Stan Louttit in…
I’m in my cabin washing dishes while the boys get sucked back into their electronics, and feeling far away and disconnected from the music industry. Taking time to teach my sons the Cree traditions, building survival skills, and developing resilience into their very core is important to me. Someday they will walk in my footsteps,…
Earlier this year, our booking agent called us with the most exciting news of our music career to date: he secured us a spot at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. We were booked to play closing night, on the Main Stage, opening for Peter Wolf, and Tom Petty! Every upcoming artist would have done just about anything…
For as long as I can remember, hockey has been a passion of mine. As a boy in Attawapiskat, I started playing hockey in net on the outdoor rink - I wasn’t a good player and my skating was choppy, so I got thrown in net. The school would collect donated gear from the south…
This week was a very busy time for me, trying to juggle work demands while assisting ArtsCan Circle during their visit to Attawapiskat. I heard about ArtsCan last winter and the good work they did in Fort Albany. They had fiddlers, record producers, photographers, and other artists working with youth, and it was really moving to see…
What a great Canadian Music Week experience we had in May 2016! Last year we had applied to showcase, but were not chosen. It was disappointing, but we tried not to let it bother us. Instead, we chose to stay positive, keep on moving forward, and look to 2016 -- and lo and behold, we were…
The spring goose hunt this year was not a very fruitful one. Elders say it's because of the limited amount of snow, which makes for poor spring hunting - in James Bay, anyway. Weather has been wonky too. Most of this winter was mild and I don't recall one snowstorm at all. I guess you can't…
Winter is here. I always welcome winter because it's my favourite season. Winter means exploring the vast James Bay and Hudson Bay landscape, which is an amazing experience full of special moments. Life is both slow and tough for us up here, and I like it that way because it gives us time to take in…