Events

Indigenous Artists for this Event!

• Ana Cornejo

  Ana Cornejo

  [Aztec]

  Ana Cornejo, of Mexican and a Peruvian ancestry, is a psychologist and cultural manager who walks on the red path, learning and sharing the Mexica culture through their dances and traditions. She is working with original communities as the wixarika culture, most known as Huichol. Her vision is to hold elders’ wisdom and voices alive through taking the traditions into our daily life with respect and consciousness.

  [Aztec]

• Billie Jean Gabriel

  Billie Jean Gabriel

  [syilx]

  I am a photographer for the people. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a mixed-indigenous (Syilx) photographer of the Nlaka’pamux, Secwepemc and & Syilx peoples and good guests. My niche is on-the-land portraiture.
  I am primarily self-taught. My passion is to produce professional portraiture, event and documentary coverage for individuals, families, events, organizations and grassroots initiatives. I celebrated my first publication of two portraits in the Globe and Mail article titled, Portraits of Resistance, by Paul Seesequasis (November 12, 2022).
  I photograph in a trauma-informed way to decolonize. I build meaning in my work by focusing on reciprocity. I strive to find authenticity in my work and healing journey.

  [syilx]

• Carrielynn Victor - Xémontalot

  Carrielynn Victor - Xémontalot

  [Coast Salish]

  Xémontalot

  Eastern Fraser Valley based artist, Carrielynn is a descendant of Coast Salish ancestors that have been sustained by S’olh Temexw (our land) since time immemorial & Western European ancestors that settled around Northern Turtle Island beginning in the 1600’s. Carrielynn was born and raised in S’olh Temexw and nurtured by many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
  Carrielynn maintains a communal role in Cheam as a plant practitioner, ceremonial speaker, and an artist. The philosophy and responsibilities of these communal roles are fundamental for informing the story, style and the direction of Carrielynn’s work.

  [Coast Salish]

• Charon Spinks

  Charon Spinks

  [Nlaka'pamux]

  Elder and Language Advisor

  [Nlaka'pamux]

• Digging Roots

  Digging Roots

  [Anishinaabe]

  Digging Roots breathe life into songs from their land, Turtle Island, to raise their voices in solidarity with a global chorus of Indigenous artists, activists and change-makers. For over a decade, JUNO Award winners Digging Roots have traveled the world with a joyful message of resistance, celebrating Anishinabe and Onkwehonwe traditions of round dance and interconnectedness interwoven with the bedrock sounds of blues, soul and rock n’ roll.

  [Anishinaabe]

• Dr. Cease Wyss

  Dr. Cease Wyss

  [Skwxwu7mesh, Sto:lo, Hawaiian]

  T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss (Skwxwu7mesh, Sto:lo, Hawaiian, Swiss) is an educator, interdisciplinary artist and Indigenous ethnobotanist engaged in community based teaching and sharing. Throughout Wyss’s 30 year practice, Wyss’s work encompasses storytelling and collaborative initiatives through their knowledge and restoration of Indigenous plants and natural spaces. Wyss has been recognized for exchanging traditional knowledge in remediating our relationship to land through digital media, site-specific engagements and weaving. Wyss has participated and exhibited at galleries, museums, festivals and public space such as Vancouver Art Gallery, Morris, Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Contemporary Art Gallery and the PuSh Festival  to name a few. Their work can be found in various collections such as the National Library of Canada, Special Collections at the Walter Phillips Gallery, and the Vancouver Public Library. They have lead the transformation of Semi-Public (半公開) during their Fellowship at 221a and they are the 2021 ethnobotanist resident at the Wild Bird Sanctuary. They have assisted in developing an urban Indigenous garden currently showing at the 2021 Momenta Biennale in Montreal.

  [Skwxwu7mesh, Sto:lo, Hawaiian]

• Dr. Michelle Jack

  Dr. Michelle Jack

  [syilx]

  As the head of the Visual Arts Department for the En’owkin Centre Dr. Michelle Jack has worked hard to support their Indigenous students from all over Canada and the Sylix territory. The partnership that she, Phyllis Isaac, and Greg Younging have worked to maintain with the Penticton Art Gallery and Curator Paul Crawford has enhanced the NAPAT program and their professional students experiences in their individual arts goals.

  An Okanagan (sylix) from the communities of (snpintktn) Penticton, BC and (nisɬpícaʔ) Omak, WA she is a working artist, with a BFA from the University of New Mexico and an MFA from the University of Washington both in Studio Arts and Photography. She uses her traditional Sylix experiences to enhance her art practice and teaching methods in the NAPAT program.

  [syilx]

• DRMNGNOW

  DRMNGNOW

  [Yorta Yorta/Dja Dja Wurrung]

  Yorta Yorta , Dja Dja Wurrung , Wiradjuri, Ngurai Illum Wurrung interdisciplinary artist Neil Morris aka DRMNGNOW is an inimitable force of custodial song and story as a Yiyirr from Moorooopna (Place of Deep Water ), Biyala Woka ( Redgum Country) .

  DRMNGNOW is an artist with a grass roots ethic and big picture vision, DRMNGNOW is driven by aspirations of First Nations liberation and Sovereignty and has been widely known to use his platform to push and advocate for various Indigenous rights campaigns relating to Enviromental Issues , Cultural Rights and Deaths in Custody.

  DRMNGNOW is a thought provoking artist relentlessly providing pieces of work that call into question the unjust constructs of the Colonial project and for a deeper engagement with the true depth of the critical societal role and rightful place of Indigenous peoples within so called Australia.

  [Yorta Yorta/Dja Dja Wurrung]

• Ecko Aleck

  Ecko Aleck

  [Nlakapamux]

  Ecko Aleck is from the Nlaka’pamux nation – Grizzly Bear clan, living on Pentlatch territory on Vancouver Island. Ecko is the artist and visionary behind Sacred Matriarch Productions. Initially launching her performing artistry with her english name Ecko, she is transitioning to take the stage as “Sacred Matriarch” for future shows and performances.

  Sacred Matriarch music can be described as the bridging between the ancestral world and modern times with a spicy addition of BIPOC truth-bombs woven with Indigenous hip hop or as Ecko likes to call it – IndigeHop.
  Ecko’s first EP launched December, 2019 and her next album is in the works for a release date later this fall/winter.

  [Nlakapamux]

• Gregory Scofield

  Gregory Scofield

  [Métis/Cree]

  Gregory Scofield, poet, playwright, teacher, social worker (b at Maple Ridge, BC 20 July 1966). A Métis of Cree, Scottish, English, French, and Jewish descent, Gregory Scofield was raised by his mother, an aunt, and in several foster homes in northern Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, and the Yukon.
  A former outreach worker dealing with street youth in Vancouver, Gregory Scofield has taught First Nations and Métis Literature at Brandon University and the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and has served as writer-in-residence at Memorial University. Much of Scofield’s writing is an examination of his own life and that of his Native heritage.

  [Métis/Cree]

• Hujune

  Hujune

  [Dakelh]

  Hujunē is comprised of Dakelh sisters Kumbayaz Dennis (flute, vocals) and Sabina Dennis (guitar, vocals). Tying activism and lyricism together the sisters have continued to be a strong presence in the grassroots activist community as well as a strong presence on stage as they perform their all original Dakelh contemporary music.

  Sabina Dennis-Luksil yoo (Caribou Clan)
  Kumbayaz Dennis-Luksil yoo (Caribou Clan)

  [Dakelh]

• Jess Tustin

  Jess Tustin

  [Métis]

  Jessey is a young Metis artist based in Vancouver and studying at Emily Carr University. They’re working towards their Fine Arts Bachelors Degree in Illustration but they consider themselves a multi-media artist. Many of the mediums they practice in are painting, photography, weaving, carving, ceramics, beading, and both traditional and digital drawing.

  [Métis]

• Kinwa Bluesky

  Kinwa Bluesky

  [Bear Clan/Anishinaabe]

  Kinwa Bluesky is Bear Clan and Anishinaabe from the Sandy Lake First Nation and Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg. She comes with sacred feet, and now lives softly on the unceded, traditional territory, and homelands of the Musqueam Peoples.

  Professionally, Kinwa is an Indigenous legal advocate who is committed to implementing equitable law, governance, and rights through social justice, Indigenous, and human rights-based initiatives.
  Kinwa works to support our collective civic responsibilities to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and Principles, the UN and BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and more recently, the Calls for Justice in the Final Report of the Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

  She holds Juris Doctorate and Master of Laws degrees and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at UVic’s Faculty of Law. Kinwa is a traditional storyteller, Peloton online athlete, and Master Lego Builder.

  [Bear Clan/Anishinaabe]

• Kym Gouchie

  Kym Gouchie

  [Lheidli T’enneh/ Cree/Secwépemc]

  With ancestral roots in the Lheidli T’enneh, Cree and Secwépemc Nations, KYM GOUCHIE is fostering change through her music and art. Her music brings awareness to First Nations and women’s issues, promoting reconciliation and authentic community engagement. Her stories are a testament to the human spirit, weaving together threads of her own journey from personal tragedy to triumph. Kym’s traditional hand drum, clean, crisp acoustic guitar and full-bodied voice make her a powerful force. Indigenous-folk, and country tones alongside poignant and inspirational lyrics capture the hearts of young and old — her genuine and heartfelt performances have a profound and sometimes emotional impact on their audience. Throughout the pandemic, Kym has found beauty in the ability to connect with people around the world with the click of a button. She sees herself as a bridge, connecting hearts and minds… reminding us that we’re all in this together.

  [Lheidli T’enneh/ Cree/Secwépemc]

• Leroy Joe

  Leroy Joe

  [Lil’wat]

  Leroy Joe is a First Nations musician from The Lil’wat of the St’at’imc Nation. He has been playing guitar and writing songs for over 30 years. His most recent accomplishments include 2 awards and 8 nominations at the 2019 Native American Music Awards in Niagara Falls NY, USA. His band, The Spiritual Warriors won Best World and his other project, The Kindness Project won Best Historical/Linguistic. Leroy wrote the music and helped to produce both projects, his band Kalan Wi, also won for Best Historical/Linguistic in 2013 at the NAMA’s. Leroy blends the Lil’wat language and chanting style with reggae and world music to create a unique roots/rock sound, Leroy also plays many genre’s, including bluegrass, reggae, jazz, rock, folk and pop. Leroy has released four recordings in his career including a recording of the Lower St’at’imc people’s hand drum songs, a recording the people of St’at’imc use to learn the songs that where handed down from the ancestors.

  [Lil’wat]

• Madeline Terbasket

  Madeline Terbasket

  [Syilx/Ho-chunk/Anishinaabe]

  Madeline Terbasket (they/them) is a two-spirit performing artist. They do traditional storytelling, filmmaking, burlesque and drag. Madeline is Syilx, Ho-chunk and Anishinaabe. They grew up in the beautiful Similkameen Valley and they now reside in Penticton. Madeline Terbasket is reimagining traditional stories with their physical comedy, queerness and vulnerability.

  [Syilx/Ho-chunk/Anishinaabe]

• Nimkish

  Nimkish

  [Kwakwaka’wakw /Cree]

  To fully immerse in the multitudes of Indigenous rising star Nimkish is to honour the past, look ahead to the future, and bask in the resplendent present all at once. The Vancouver-based marvel-in-the-making is fearless in her lyricism, Nimkish always brings a bright-eyed aim to flourish in all she has experienced.

  [Kwakwaka’wakw /Cree]

• Ronnie Dean Harris

  Ronnie Dean Harris

  [Sto:lo/Nlaka’pamux]

  Emcee Ronnie Dean Harris aka Ostwelve, is a Stolo/Nlaka’pamux multimedia artist based in Vancouver, BC.
  As hip-hop artist Ostwelve, he has performed in numerous festivals and has opened for acts such as Guru, K’naan, and Snoop DoggRon got his start with professional graphic design at the age of 14 after submitting a design to a Vancouver-based skateboard company “Arson” and got this design printed. In the same year he began co-hosting the “When Spirits Whisper” on CO-OP Radio 100.5 FM (formerly 102.7 FM).

  In the past years he’s worked on number of projects, most prominently as an actor and composer for APTN/Showcase dramatic series “Moccasin Flats” for two seasons as a performer and a lead character, and in the subsequent film project “Moccasin Flats: Redemption” in 2007. As well, he was the lead composer for APTN children’s Cree language series “Nehiyawetan: Let’s Speak Cree”.

  He has gone on to contribute music to TV series such as ARCTIC AIR, MOHAWK GIRLS, FIRST STORY, SKYE & CHANG and film projects like FIRE SONG, NUMBER 14, THE ROAD FORWARD, WINDIGO TALE and CEDAR & BAMBOO.

  In 2011, he was hired as Content Manager for RPM.fm, an Indigenous music culture website based out of Vancouver. The website focuses on bringing the latest of Indigenous music culture to its audience, as well as a podcast series of which he was the host. The podcast was selected as the recipient of the United Nations DPI Gold Medal as well as being awarded a Silver Medal in the Culture & The Arts, Audio Podcast category at the New York Festivals Awards.

  Check out the podcasts here: http://rpm.fm/podcasts/

  Most recently, Ron is featured in the National Film Board musical documentary “The Road Forward”, directed by Marie Clements. https://www.nfb.ca/film/road_forward/Ron performed and emceed at 2RMX in 2019 and 2018.

  [Sto:lo/Nlaka’pamux]

• Rose Caldwell

  Rose Caldwell

  [syilx]

  Resident Elder, Mentor, nsyilxcen speaker, language teacher and traditional Knowledge Keeper from the Westbank First Nation.

  [syilx]

• Russell Wallace

  Russell Wallace

  [Lil’wat]

  Russell Wallace is an award-winning composer, producer and traditional singer from the Lil’wat Nation. His music can be heard on soundtracks for film, television and theatre/dance productions across Canada and the U.S. Wallace is one of the founding members of the Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast and is an alumnus of the UBC Creative Writing program. Wallace has written poetry, short fiction, theatre, and music theatre. Wallace was the artist in residence at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival in 2019, a guest programmer for Word Vancouver and was the artistic director for the Aboriginal Electronic Music Festival for a number of years.

  [Lil’wat]

• Sabina Dennis

  Sabina Dennis

  [Dakelh]

  Sabina Dennis sa hutni. Laksilyu dustoh.Nadleh Bunk’ut hasya. The music we perform as a group is called Hujunē which simply means those who sing. I was born of the indigenous resistance movement in the 70’s , momma was a hippy, spiritual, hard working, white descent father Dakelh A.I.M.ster, residential school survivor, son of medicine lines of our ancestors. The call of our sacred Mother Earth has always been in the forefront of my being. The songs I sing came through me and that is all, some feel deeply the messages and that is the purpose of performing for me. Intentions, awareness, presence all in the moment. We will never give up our cultural freedoms or inherent rights to a unified human autonomy. Awet Za.

  [Dakelh]

• Salt Water Hank

  Salt Water Hank

  [Gitga’at/Tsimshian]

  A member of the Gitga’at community, Tsimshian folk artist Saltwater Hank resurrects stories of the land, loss and absurd circumstance and shines them through a sepia lens, witnessing ageless characters with hearts and lives on the line. Historically speaking, many have come and gone before us without broad notice, despite having made significant impacts during their lives.
  These are the stories that Saltwater Hank sinks his teeth into, spinning them into timeless folk songs with a penchant for a jig.

  Saltwater Hank’s debut album, Stories From the Northwest, is a recording built upon the influence of Hanks before him. Saltwater Hank’s father Henry (also known as Hank) was his first and most influential exposure to music, and instilled in him a deep curiosity and love for the craft. Born in Prince Rupert, Saltwater Hank’s earliest memories of gingerly strumming his father’s guitar strings, to hearing him, his grandfather and uncles perform the songs of Hank Williams Sr. and other country favourites, the influence of these formative experiences is clear when listening to Saltwater Hank.

  Recorded reel-to-reel in the basement of a church in Prince George, BC with some of the province’s best players, Stories From the Northwest is a collection of expertly played tunes with a nostalgic familiarity and a progressive tone. Recruiting Danny Bell and Amy Blanding (fellow members of retired folk-rock project, Black Spruce Bog), to accompany him on the album along with other esteemed Northern artists Naomi Kavka, Big Fancy, Brin Porter and Chloe Nakahara, Together not only as musical cohorts but as friends too, the album portrays their chemistry and camaraderie, all captured through a single ribbon microphone, true to the methods of eras gone by.

  [Gitga’at/Tsimshian]

• ShoShona Kish

  ShoShona Kish

  [Anishinaabekwe]

  ShoShona Kish is an Anishinaabekwe community organizer, producer, activist, songwriter and JUNO award-winning touring artist. This year ShoShona was awarded the Spirit of Folk Award at the International Folk Awards in Kansas City and was recognized by the Berlin based WOMEX organization for her work internationally with the prestigious Professional Excellence Award, “for her role in the ongoing revolution of upheaving Indigenous communities and their culture – using the medium of music as an agent of change, to awaken our humanity and help us connect”.

  ShoShona leads the multi-award-winning band Digging Roots, with her husband, Raven Kanatakta. Their music breaches categorization, seamlessly blending global and traditional Indigenous sounds with roots, blues and soul. They have brought their unique musical marriage of unvarnished truth and unconditional love to venues and festivals around the world.

  [Anishinaabekwe]

• Sierra Tasi Baker

  Sierra Tasi Baker

  [Kwakwaka’wakw, Tlingit, Haida]

  Sierra Tasi Baker is an award-winning Squamish Nation, Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, Tlingit, Haida, and Hungarian designer, community consultant, entrepreneur, artist, and storyteller. Sierra is a trained contemporary dancer with over 12 years of experience in the performing arts. Sierra began performing as a professional fire and circus performance artist in 2013, starting the process of combining circus arts and contemporary dance with Coastal values, material culture, and protocols. Sierra is one of the choreographers for Butterflies in Spirit, an Indigenous dance group that raises awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Womxn started by #MMIW activist Lorelei Williams. Sierra has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s in Sustainable Urbanism from University College London (UK).  In addition to her movement work she also recently served as a consultant and curator for Vancouver Mural Festival.

  [Kwakwaka’wakw, Tlingit, Haida]

• Tracey Kim Bonneau

  Tracey Kim Bonneau

  [syilx]

  Tracey Kim Bonneau (syilx) is a veteran award-winning television writer and producer residing on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Canada. Her most recent industry accolade includes garnering four Leo nominations in 2016 from the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia for her original rich cultural documentary series Quest Out-West Wild Food, airing on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) . In 2018 Tracey was awarded the Aboriginal Business Excellence Award from the Penticton Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to the local economy within the film and television industry.
  In 2022 Tracey was greenlit for Season 4 of Quest OutWest Wild Food Tracey’s freelance portfolio include: Aboriginal Voices, Wind-Speaker News, Ravens Eye News, CBC Radio-One – Kelowna- Daybreak, Peach City Radio, Global Okanagan News, PBS, KCTS-Seattle and APTN National news. Aside from her professional arts career Tracey is employed by the non-profit organization En’owkin Centre which is located in Penticton.

  [syilx]