Performers

Social activism and a feverish dance party make a tantalizing combination and 2022 JUNO winner for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year, Dan “DJ Shub” General is the grand marshal we nominate to lead this jubilant parade. Shub is a true original: a title-holding battle DJ/producer, a joyful collaborator and a non-stop creator who skillfully weaves craft, message and heritage. Since exiting A Tribe Called Red, Shub has continued adding jewels to his “Godfather of PowWowStep” crown. War Club is Shub’s latest celebration of Indigenous power: a special filmed on Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in Ontario that features Shub’s trademark finger-smoking scratch-a-thons, an all-ages cast of traditional dancers, and plenty of bustles shaking to outstanding musical collaborations with Phoenix Pagliacci, Boogát and Fawn Wood that tells the tale of a young girl searching for her brother with the help of an enchanted war club. Shub’s uncompromising pride in Aboriginal heritage and talent is the driving force behind his art. Join the parade – Shub’s made sure there’s enough hip hop, Indigenous culture, power, protest and humanity for all of us.

An engaging storyteller, singer-songwriter and performer, three-time JUNO Award nominee Don Amero has been tirelessly touring, performing and speaking across Canada for the last decade, earning the respect and attention of the Canadian Music industry and fans alike. With the rare ability to effortlessly and genuinely connect with his audience, Amero, who is of Cree and Métis heritage, has taken the skills he utilizes on stage and applied them to his advocacy work within Indigenous communities and beyond, including his participation as a youth mentor for the Winnipeg Jets and True North Youth Foundation’s ‘Project 11’. An avid public speaker, Amero created the ‘Music Is Medicine’ workshop, presenting the impact and power music has mentally and physically, and he now serves as the first ever advisor and Chair of the CCMA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Join the Indigenous Songwriters Circle to learn about songwriting. The songwriting session will be moderated by Lisa Patterson. 

• Saturday, July 22: Musician hosts - Sandy Scofield and Patrick Calihou
• Sunday, July 23: Musician hosts - Don Amero, Renae Morriseau, Semiah

With a style perpetually galvanized by darkness and haunting northern beauty, sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay come together to create Inuit style throat singing duo, PIQSIQ. Performing ancient traditional songs and eerie new compositions, they leave their listeners enthralled with their ability to weave complex emotional landscapes that transcend language.

In Inuktitut, a “piqsiq” is a storm where winds blow in a very specific way, making it seem as if the snow is falling back up towards the sky. This otherworldly, natural phenomenon has become a source of inspiration for the duo, reminding them that things are not always as they seem.

From Mexico City’s Ollin Kan World Music Festival to Sarawak, Borneo’s Rainforest Festival, Iskwew Singers (pronounced Is-kway-yo) are on the move! Formed in Vancouver, the ensemble was created to perform in 2006 in Pau, France for the First International First People’s Festival and Forum. Iskwew Singers are a trio of First Nations women who create and perform songs in the plains tradition that tell stories of the connection to the earth, the Creator and one another. Coming from the Cree, Nation Shakti Hayes is joined by Métis singer Sandy Scofield and Cree singer Kelsey Wavey – each has an active career in other forms of music and art. 

M’Girl music is an Indigenous women's vocal and hand drum ensemble that's been together for over 20 years. M’Girl loves to sing and blend their voices.  Managed by Renae Morriseau, she has been gifted songs through ceremony and composed hand drum songs in Cree and Saulteaux, her family's language(s). M'Girl, is a collective of urban Indigenous women from different nations of Turtle Island. M’Girl celebrates the restoration of women in song and provides a lens into how each M'Girl honours their cultural perspectives on these lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tlseil-Waututh.  

Eli Gosselin-Rattlesnake is an Anishinaabe Hoop Dancer whose ancestry is from Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty 4 Reserve in Southwestern Manitoba. 
He and his Powwow and Hoop dance family have been traveling to share their medicine anywhere the Spirit calls them. It is with great gratitude that they share their stories and medicine with the people.

Matt Cook-Contois is a First Nations fiddle player from Northern Manitoba. He has been playing the fiddle most of his life and has performed at festivals, camps, and competitions across the country.

Pat Calihou is best known for building the biggest Métis monument in British Columbia located at fort Langley national historic site . 

Sino General, a mesmerizing singer and dancer from the Six Nations, brings the spirit of tradition alive through his captivating performances. With his powerful vocals and graceful movements, he embodies the essence of the Pow Wow. As a respected leader in preserving Native heritage, Sino's performances transport audiences to a world where tradition meets contemporary influences. Experience the vibrant energy and timeless traditions of the Six Nations as Chief Rock takes the stage at the upcoming Pow Wow show. Get ready to be enchanted by his extraordinary talent and deep connection to his roots. Don't miss this unforgettable celebration of Native culture.

Billy Joe Green is a Bear Clan Anishinabe. In the true Indigenous Linquistic Concept of International Law his territory is where he lives, travels and wherever his language is spoken.

Still in his teens and in the nick of time, he was yanked from a dull life of schoolboy drudgery & incompleteness. His guitar mentor & life long friend Martin Tuesday had scouted Billy Joe, soon asking him to join forces with a fiery group of young Indian musicians who called themselves The Feathermen. He jumped at the chance. It changed his life forever.

Becoming one of Canada's premier blues guitar slingers did not come easy. He worked with the determination that would frustrate most musicians; patiently, diligently working to find a place for his nusic. He has been described as 'an incredibly talented, diverse, well-traveled musician' by the SCENE ROOTS & BLUES MAGAZINE. The description is well-earned.

Winner of the Showcase Showdown 2023, Ojibway comedian Brenda Prince talks about the absurdities of the real world with her unique jokes. 

The Git Hayetsk Dancers are an internationally renowned dance group led in partnership by artist and carver Mike Dangeli (Nisga’a, Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Tsetsaut Nations) and Dr. Mique’l Dangeli (Tsimshian and Tlingit Nations), Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Arts at the University of the Fraser Valley.  

Git Hayetsk means “people of the copper shield” in Sm’algya̱x, the language spoken by the Nisga’a, Tsimshian, and Gitxsan Nations. The copper shield is the highest form of ceremonial wealth shared among their people as well as other First Nations along the Northwest Coast. Their dancers are bonded by their connections to the Sm’algya̱x speaking peoples with distinction in their family ties to the many other Nations in Northern British Columbia, the Yukon, and Southeast Alaska. Since 1999, they have shared their songs and dances at ceremonial and public events in urban and rural communities through Canada, the US, and abroad including Austria, Malaysia, Germany, and Japan.

Former male model for Elite Fox Meriläinen sat in on drums while his younger brother Cole provided the bass lines as well engineered and mixed the project.

The project first began during the Covid lockdowns when we were all hunkered down in our residences. During the recording of the Nadjiwan album ‘Star Nation’, Marc and his 2 sons recorded several tracks of instrumental dance music for fun to pass the time. It was later that we realized we had a collection of songs that could use lyrics and a vocal melody.

The name “Kind of Sea” comes from language translation software. In the early days before the programming for the translation was fully realized some of the words entered came back with strange results. We entered our last name “Merilainen” into the translator and the response back was that it translated to “kind of sea”.

An endorsee of YSL Pro, Lisa Patterson is an award-winning music creator and entrepreneur who has been championing collaboration and inclusion across 3 continents for the past 25 years. At her LPM studio in Toronto, Canada she works as a producer-engineer, songwriter-musician, string-horn arranger as well as running an innovative Artist Development Program whose successes include Warner Records signing Alex Frew & ISC semi-finalist Nova Carver-Cook. 

Pat calihou Métis artist is best known For carving Métis style paddles, canoes, Métis playgrounds, traditionally built red river carts and most recently a full size replica York boat and a full size red river cart located within the walls of fort Langley national historic site.

He is a multi instrumentalist specializing in slide guitar and Métis blues. Although he is known for his wood carving abilities today he will be telling us a story and carving on his guitar .