Campfire Chats: A Celebration of Indigenous Music and Culture

Born in Winnipeg, Craig Ginn grew up in the northern communities of Churchill, Thompson, and Leaf Rapids.  Craig currently resides in Calgary where he is an active member of the Métis Nation of Alberta as well as a member of Métis Local 87. Craig is an Associate Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Classics and Religion and serves as the Director of the International Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Calgary. As an academic and musician, Craig has recently released a 10-song album, Songs of Justice (2021). The lyrics inform current and historical relations between Canada and its Indigenous peoples, also drawing attention to the political and spiritual significance of Louis Riel.  Craig is currently recording music for the Animal Kinship Project, to be released summer 2023. Informed by Indigenous understandings of relationality and his own observations and experiences, the songs will portray the presence and impact of animals, including songs about the polar bear, wolf, eagle, beaver, snowy owl, orca, and raven. Two songs address the historical slaughters of animals, the plains bison in the late-19th century and Inuit sled dogs from 1950-1975.

The Denby Family are Métis fiddle and jig performers comprised of sisters, Breann and Kaleena Denby, and their parents, Ralph and Yvette Denby. Both the Denby sisters and their mother learned fiddle by-ear and were taught by different teachers in the fiddle community as well as at in the Métis Nations of Alberta, Districts 5 and 6. They take great pride in showcasing their music at various venues such as UCalgary’s Indigenous Graduations, various Calgary Board of Education schools, flag raising ceremonies at the City of Calgary's City Hall, Lougheed House, Calgary's Aboriginal Friendship Centre's clinic opening ceremony, and many other community events and venues. The Denby family is proud to share educational information on Métis culture.

Olivia Tail Feathers is a songstress from the Blood Tribe in Southern Alberta. Olivia has sung in many genres of music and created her own unique style of song through her musical experiences. She is a Blackfeet woman who grew up speaking the language and living the Plains native culture. During her first years of teaching in federal schools she realized the absence of indigenous song in the music curriculum. She has since created the native songs she carries with her today. 

Olivia helped-to start-filling the gap of Traditional/Contemporary native song, in classrooms and community events. She is proud of her heritage and continues sharing her stories and songs. Olivia founded a youth singing grouping in 1994, the Kainai Grassland Singers, the movement of the tall grasses by the summer breeze, the image of her ancestors of the past gave her the passion and vision to re-create.   
Olivia has performed with many first nations singers, she gives credit to the Banff Center for the Arts in connecting with Indigenous singers from North America.

Olivia is an international recording artist and was a singer in, ’Hearts of the Nations’ Compilation C.D. (Sweet Grass Records) and Ninihkssin C.D.’ (Arbor Records).  She has credits in Documentary film and is featured in ‘Singing Our Stories, First Ladies of Indigenous Music’ NFB, and the ‘Intertribal Music Series’, CBC and APTN. Olivia was the recipient of the first ‘Keeper of Traditions Award’, CAMA 1999, Blackfoot Canadian Cultural Society Award 2021, Lifetime Arts Award 2021 (BCCS), Teacher Excellence FNMI. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree from the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.