Campfire Chats: A Celebration of Indigenous Music and Culture

Drezus is an Anishinaabe and Nehiyaw hip hop artist, songwriter, and actor from Muskowekwan First Nation in Saskatchewan, known for raw storytelling and unapologetic Indigenous pride that empowers youth to embrace who they are. First recognized with Team Rezofficial and later breaking through with Redwinter, an anthem of the Idle No More movement, he went on to solidify his impact with Indian Summer. A Juno nominee, SOCAN Vince Fontaine Indigenous Song Award winner, MTV VMA award winner, and five-time Indigenous Music Award winner, he has shared stages with Drake, 50 Cent, Cardi B, and Mobb Deep, and has appeared on the hit TV show Yellowstone.

Fawn Wood is a Cree and Salish singer, songwriter, and traditional artist celebrated for her powerful voice and cultural storytelling. A Juno Award winner for Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year, she has also earned numerous Native American Music Awards, Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards, and Indian Summer Music Awards. Her award-winning albums include Iskwewak, Kikawiynaw, and Kakike, as well as collaborative projects with her partner Dallas Waskahat, Til the End and Blessings, and multiple recordings with her powwow group, Cree Confederation. Fawn’s music has been featured in films, TV shows, and documentaries, alongside appearances on Joe Pickett and Entertainment Tonight Canada’s Indigenous Icons.

An act of reclamation, a fulfilment of identity and a statement of purpose: Siibii is so much more than a name. The Montreal-based songwriter, a mythic pop power in the making, manifests their name’s Cree meaning — river — as a source of creative and personal empowerment. Ever-rushing and ever-flowing, the river is a force of intention, imagination, and emotional cleansing that guides Siibii’s musical journey. Originally from Mistissini, Que., Siibii writes music to quiet the inner voices that can drown out the good. A self-trained artist of both natural and nurtured gifts, Siibii draws from deep wells of familial and instinctive talent. “Mama put a paintbrush in my hand and Gookum put a song in my heart,” they say.