LIFE UP NORTH FUELS BIG DREAMS for Broadband Communications North WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Leading the Change They Wish to See THE 2024 VISION
QUEST CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW IS BACK
Earth and Stars, Past and Present
Music - Ryan LittleEagle Advertiser Index 8
LS Airways Flight Academy
Reclaiming Indigeneity
Through Art
Music: Janet Panic
Music: Mamarudegyal MTHC (MRG)
The 2024 Vision Quest Conference and Trade Show will welcome 35 inspiring business and community leaders as workshop presenters, including Desiree Brightnose, owner of Tilted Teepee Productions. Find out more.
Founder of Eagle Woman
Prints, Jenna Valiquette, uses art to connect with others and express her experience as a contemporary Indigenous woman in Canada.
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Peguis First Nation has a sound economic development strategy and is actively engaged in numerous projects that promise to bolster the community’s economic growth.
Jason Neepin, executive director of Broadband Communications North (BCN), knows firsthand about living in a northern remote community, and this is the fuel behind moving BCN towards its ultimate goal.
Women-owned small businesses drive innovation and contribute greatly to the Canadian economy. Lisa Organ, owner of Frozen Dreams in the Yukon and Tamara and Jennifer Wensley of Primal Sisters Enterprises out of British Columbia share their stories.
MAY 8-9
Indigenous Prosperity Forum
This forum aims to provide opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs, and increase prosperity for Indigenous people in Canada, thereby increasing social and economic self-reliance and sustainability for Indigenous people and communities nationwide.
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada naccaforum.com
MAY 14-15
Forward Summit / WEST
Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses and organizations across Canada come together for economic reconciliation, creating a community focused on action.
Grey Eagle Event Centre
Tsuut’ina Nation, Calgary, Alberta, Canada forwardsummit.ca
MAY 15-16
2024 Vision Quest Conference & Trade Show
The annual event is focused on Indigenous business, community and economic development and offers delegates incredible networking opportunities and trade show experience.
RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada vqconference.com
MAY 16
Moose Hide Campaign Day
All Canadians are called to join together to take a stand against violence towards women and children, and to take practical steps for our collective journey of reconciliation. Take action now!
Canada
moosehidecampaign.ca/campaignday
MAY 21-22
Eastern Indigenous Consultation & Engagement Conference
With a focus on economic development amid environmental sustainability, the Canadian Institute’s annual consultation event will deliver discussions on the most crucial topics affecting consultation in Ontario and across Canada.
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada canadianinstitute.com/eastern-indigenousconsultation-engagement
MAY 21-23
2024 Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference
The conference will bring together scholars, knowledge keepers, and other experts from across Turtle Island to share advances and experiences in Indigenous science, research, education, and policy.
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada event.fourwaves.com/2024tiisc/pages
JUN 1-30
National Indigenous History Month
National Indigenous History Month honours the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada.
ictinc.ca/blog/national-indigenous-history-month
JUN 21
National Indigenous Peoples Day
The arrival of the summer solstice, and a day to celebrate and honour each member of our diverse National Indigenous family, and their unique cultures and histories.
Canada
SAY Magazine makes every effort to ensure our calendar of events is up to date; however, we encourage you to check event websites regularly for more information.
"I believe economic reconciliation is achieved by amplifying Indigenous voices, engaging in difficult conversations, and recognizing distinct but equal perspectives."
~ Eagle Woman Prints Founder Jenna Valiquette
When we think of economic empowerment, we often think of economic development or growth. However, in this issue, we are focusing on the concept of 'empowerment' in the context of Indigenous Peoples, businesses, and communities. This includes reconciliation, long-term sustainable economic growth, human rights, autonomy, increased skills, and confidence. As a platform, SAY Magazine is committed to amplifying these voices and promoting these perspectives.
When we choose to empower others, we are not just investing in their potential, but also uplifting and encouraging their strengths. It's about saying 'yes' to someone's ideas and believing in their potential. This simple act can lead to extraordinary and positive results, shaping not just their lives but also the world around us. The economic future of our world is dependent on human-centered leadership and human relationships, regardless of all of the technology available to us. The world still has so much to learn from an Indigenous lens.
Throughout this issue, we highlight a few Manitoba-based businesses doing their part to increase economic sustainability and development, including the annual Vision Quest Conference and Trade Show. Keep reading for more inspiring stories from several women entrepreneurs who are leading the way as changemakers and role models for other Indigenous women and girls who hope to one day start their own enterprises.
In keeping with SAY Magazine’s message of hope and resilience, we hope you feel encouraged to pursue your passions with confidence.
~ Danielle Vienneau, Editor-in-Chief
“Even if I help one woman, who may help five more, and so on, it creates a chain, a chain of strength. When people see they are worth more than the situation they are in, they can achieve anything, and I just want to help that along.”
“
It’s about people’s true potential,”
Lisa Organ, owner of Frozen Dreams in Whitehorse, Yukon states. “Being in business is all about the people, and supporting your people so they can continue to learn and grow.” And Organ would know this. She has worked in more than 30 different jobs, both full and part-time. She is now making tasty treats out of a remodelled shed in her backyard, that she has converted into a licensed kitchen.
“I used to have two or three jobs at once,” she laughs, “I’m pretty adaptable. I can easily handle changing priorities and urgencies and have a built-in ‘aim to please’ attitude. So when I would be working somewhere, and the management was not supportive, I recognized it pretty quickly and I learned that supporting your people is number one—being a leader instead of a boss.”
Lisa started Frozen Dreams in 2013 and chuckles when she tells the story. “It was my Dad’s 50th birthday,” she recalls, “and all he asked for was an ice cream cake. It took me four hours to make an ice cream cake, and then the top slid off the bottom,” she laughs. “But 13 cakes later, and many larger waistbands, I got it right.” From there, friends and family started asking if they could buy, or special order, her cakes. “And it kind of took off from there,” she recalls, “I decided to do this full-time, and create a kitchen, out of a shed on my property. And, lo and behold, Frozen Dreams came out of it. That was seven years ago.”
From a family of hard-working entrepreneurs, Organ says, “My life has been up and down, in so many ways. But I became me, because of that.” Then she goes on to speak from
the generational perspective and about future leaders. “Even if I help one woman, who may help five more, and so on, it creates a chain, a chain of strength. When people see they are worth more than the situation they are in, they can achieve anything, and I just want to help that along, that kind of growth.” Then she says, excitedly, “You just have to take the risk. And when people ask what if you fail? So what?,” she laughs, “If you fail, you can always go back to what you used to do, and that’s easy because you’ve already been there, you know what you’re doing. Take the chance, take the step forward, because what’s the worst that could happen? It’s crazy how life works, once you let it flow. If we stay in places where we aren’t happy, that’s when life gets hard.”
“I wouldn’t be here today without dana Näye Ventures,” she claims. “It’s the fear, you know, that holds you back, not knowing if what you have available is going to be liked by everybody. Without their support and coaching, I would not have been able to get through the fear without the financial support. I would not be able to have the kitchen.” Organ speaks excitedly about her relationship with the organization, “Donna Moore is my idol,” she laughs, “she takes time for me, and gives me all kinds of advice. It’s just the way she speaks to you. She uplifts your soul, and she was one of the first people to say to me that I had a great idea, that I could accomplish this.”
Through professional and personal hurdles, Organ continues to take chances. “We can hold resentment or we can honour the fact that we have learned from it, or that it has changed us. People ask, how did you do that? Well, you just do,” she declares. “There’s no magical way. Just do what makes you feel good, then it becomes easy.”
“The Nuu-ChahNulth Economic Development Corporation not only helped us with a loan when a regular bank would not even consider us, but they were the first ones to say to us that it was a great idea!”
~ Jennifer Wensley
Self-proclaimed as being very different, one of the things these sisters have in common is their contagious energy and infectious laughter. When asked how they started Primal Sisters Enterprises, Jennifer replies, “Stumbling.” She laughs, “It was a side thing. And though we had obstacles, we kept saying we had to keep going, because it was just so much fun. And then other parts, well I hate to say it was easy, but a lot of it was.”
Tamara describes how both sisters had switched to a Paleo style of eating, for different health reasons. “It was freeing,” she said. “And once my body adjusted to not storing glucose anymore, the result was euphoric.” Still, there were some foods they missed having. Maintaining a way of eating, without carbohydrates, limiting certain treats. “Potato chips,” quips Tamara, and says to her sister, “I miss chips! What about meat chips?” While developing a snack for themselves, their paleo, ketogenic and preservative-free pork crisps product was born, Louis Pasture.
Jennifer, a single parent of four children, who formerly cleaned houses and mowed lawns, to pay the bills, talks about the business now. She explains, “We are still sometimes amazed that we were capable of doing what we’ve done. From craving a snack to heading out to sell our crisps at farmers’ markets, to now, today. I remember being so excited, going to the market,” she laughs, “as a Mom, it was a big night out for me!”
Tamara describes how she loves to share her knowledge, and you can hear an eagerness to educate in her words. “I had some health problems, and I
Learn more about some of the Indigenous women entrepreneurs that the Aboriginal Financial Institution network has supported at nacca.ca
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figured out that it was related to what I was eating.” A former vegetarian, as well as nutritionist, she describes how her body was just not feeling good. “It was a lesson in humility, thinking that I knew everything as a nutritionist,” she chuckles. With her words comes the feeling that it’s not just a business, but a public service, and deeply personal.
Also important to the sisters was the way their food was being raised, and harvested. “How the animals lived was important to us,” Tamara states, “but also the way that their lives were ended.” So they got in touch with a local butcher who specialized in traditionally raised local pork and started to produce their organic snack food.
The company name was a bit of an inside joke. It was a story that their Mother used to read to them about believing in yourself, even when others may not. It was the story of Louis Pasteur. From there, and because their product is wholly natural, Louis Pasture became their name. “I think we even named the pig Louis,” Jennifer laughs when talking about their company logo.
She continues, “We couldn’t have done any of this without the support of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Economic Development Corporation, in British Columbia. They not only helped us with a loan when a regular bank would not even consider us, but they were the first ones to say to us that it was a great idea! It wasn’t just the financial support, they also gave us a boost at a time when things were pretty uncertain.” She laughs, “We still can’t get a business credit card from a regular bank.” Then says, “So they were crucial to our plan. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
You could say it started with sturgeon.
It was the summer of 2017. Toronto-based filmmaker Lisa Jackson was reading an article in which the word “sturgeon” appeared, and she experienced what she’s come to call a zap. (These happen rarely, every few years, like a bolt of fascination and urgency, she says. She’s learned to listen to them, as her most successful projects have started this way.) Jackson, an Anishinaabe woman raised in Toronto and Vancouver and whose mother is from Aamjiwnaang, had heard of this ancient fish before, but it had never had this effect on her. A seed was planted…
Later that year, when she attended a panel on Indigenous star knowledge at the University of Toronto, someone mentioned the name “Wilfred Buck,” and again, zap. Jackson raced up to the presenter during the break: “Someone has to make a film on Wilfred Buck!”
Seven years later, Jackson and Buck shared the stage at a prestigious festival in Copenhagen to present the documentary Wilfred Buck for the very first time.
Moving between Earth and stars, past and present, the hybrid feature documentary follows the extraordinary life of a man who overcame a harrowing history to reclaim ancestral star knowledge and ceremony.
This spring, Wilfred Buck will screen at festivals in Toronto, Vancouver and Yorkton. The National Film Board of Canada, the film’s co-producer and distributor, is organizing a theatrical release across Canada in May and June. The film is based on Buck’s memoir, I Have Lived Four Lives. Jackson was one of the book’s first readers and was riveted by
its searing honesty, its wisdom, and how it seamlessly moved from heartbreaking to hilarious. Here was a beat poet, born on the land, torn from it and thrown into a society that said his people were backward and his ancestors were in Hell.
It was the story of colonialism, told from the inside. And not just the colonization of people and territory, but of the mind and spirit. Reading Buck’s words, Jackson saw someone who had been through the fire of what has devastated so many Indigenous people—and survived. And who was now, with the help of his family and community, forging a path for others to heal and reconnect to their ancestral teachings. On the book’s last page is the story of the sturgeon star constellation. Reading that, she knew she’d be the one to make a film about Wilfred Buck.
A Winnipeg-based Ininiw (Cree) astronomer, lecturer and ceremonial leader, Buck has two degrees in Education from the University of Manitoba and has dedicated 25 years to teaching students of all ages. During his 15 years as a Science Facilitator at the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre, he
Reading Buck’s words, Jackson saw someone who had been through the fire of what has devastated so many Indigenous people—and survived. And who was now, with the help of his family and community, forging a path for others to heal and reconnect to their ancestral teachings.
The Buck family business, called ACAKWUSKUN (“spirit cloud”), is a portable planetarium where Cree constellations are presented: astronomy from an Indigenous perspective.
completed extensive research on Ininiw Acakosuk (Cree stars/constellations). Buck has written three books: Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Stories (Ininiw Acakosuk), the semi-autobiographical I Have Lived Four Lives and Kitcikisik: The Great Sky (Ininiw Acakosuk)
The Buck family business, called ACAKWUSKUN (“spirit cloud”), is a portable planetarium where Cree constellations are presented: astronomy from an Indigenous perspective.
“For my family, this business gives us the freedom and a stress-free work environment for a smooth operation of commitments,” says Buck. “We can pick and choose what, where and when we will do a ‘gig.’”
“It’s very important to us that a sound, intelligent, cultural and scientific perspective of Indigenous thought and cosmology be presented to the general public, but most of all, this perspective has to be revealed and passed on to our Indigenous children to have them grasp the depth and intellectual capacity of our Peoples’ knowledge, because they are not being taught this in educational institutions at the moment,” he adds.
“While the film conveys Ininiw teachings, there’s much for anyone to learn about how to heal and how to come to new knowledge,” says Jackson. “What does it mean to open your mind, to not hive off “knowledge” as purely rational, separate from our lived experience, from the heart and spirit? Indigenous knowledge is based on millennia-long observations of the Earth and skies that provided guidance on how to navigate and live in balance. In a world drowning in data and information, we are starved for wisdom and perspective.”
After 15-plus years of filmmaking and being part of the movement advocating for Indigenous screen sovereignty, Jackson founded her own independent film production company, Door Number 3 Productions, in 2020. The name is about looking beyond the obvious choices
to forge a new path. Generations of Indigenous films and television have been controlled by non-Indigenous people, but the industry is now recognizing that Indigenous-led storytelling is key to reconciliation. Changes in funding guidelines and the establishment of the Indigenous Screen Office have supported a flourishing of Indigenous media, and these Indigenous-helmed stories are having huge impacts— in theatres, on television, in communities and beyond.
One of the things the sturgeon constellation represents is the continuity of knowledge through generations, and storytelling is one Indigenous “methodology,” as Buck would say. According to Jackson, it’s critical that Indigenous people be in charge of telling their stories—not just because they’re the best ones to tell them, but also to ensure they’re building capacity and economic empowerment for themselves, their companies and their communities.
Wilfred Buck is a Door Number 3 and National Film Board of Canada co-production. For updates on local screenings, follow Door Number 3 Productions on social media.
Indigenous knowledge is based on millennialong observations of the Earth and skies that provided guidance on how to navigate and live in balance.
~ Lisa Jackson
Anishinaabekwe artist Jenna Valiquette (Leading Eagle Woman) is the founder of Eagle Woman Prints, a company that creates contemporary prints based on traditional ways of knowing. With Valiquette as the designer, traditional is melded with modern art influences to offer a range of prints, beadwork and custom gifts that incorporate her mixed heritage.
Valiquette is very passionate about Indigenous resistance and resurgence and describes her business as her “heart project” where her creations reflect her feelings and observations of the world around her. “To express my experience as a contemporary Indigenous woman in Canada, I’ve turned to creating digital art prints. It has served as an outlet for many emotions and opinions I hold about justice and reconciliation in this nation,” explains Valiquette. “My family is both Cree and Ojibwe, so I try to include both languages in my pieces to honour both sides of my relations.”
Her family is from Poplar River First Nation in Treaty 5, but Valiquette grew up in a small town north of Winnipeg, in a predominantly white “hockey town” as she calls it. “I grew up disconnected from my culture,” she says. “I didn’t learn about anything in the classroom.
We never talked about residential schools. And my family didn’t speak the language.”
A once aspiring musician, Valiquette always dreamed of seeing the ocean, so when she graduated high school at 18 years old, she moved to Australia to pursue a degree in music. Her move across the pond proved more enlightening than she ever expected. It wasn’t until she was in Australia that she realized the Indigenous Australians, the Māori people, and the Torres Islanders were going through a lot of the same things that Indigenous Peoples in Canada were experiencing. “At 19 you think you know everything. The things I observed in Winnipeg were the same in Australia—a factor of colonization that’s affected Indigenous people everywhere,” explains Valiquette.
Being away from home brought a new perspective and forced her to dig deep to understand her
Valiquette hopes that her creations will adorn the walls of people’s homes and offices and be the source of a conversation starter.
biases and learned behaviours. “I realized the magnitude of the root problems and that they can be addressed. And that shift in mindset changed my life,” says Valiquette.
Valiquette finished her schooling in Australia and returned home to Winnipeg just as the pandemic hit. As the world came to a halt, music took a back seat and she took the opportunity to learn about her First Nations heritage while at the same time continuing her studies online at the University of Winnipeg. Valiquette eventually completed her degree in Indigenous Studies. Through her studies, and with the guidance of one of her instructors, Valiquette was set on another lifechanging path—one that would lead her to finding, and proudly accepting, her identity as an Indigenous woman.
“I was better able to understand colonization through an academic and more holistic lens through learning from our Elders. I also started learning our language, Anishinaabemowin. I realized that I’m supposed to take all that knowledge I learned, and all that life experience and I’m supposed to illustrate it,” says Valiquette. That was the inspiration that led to the opening of her small business, Eagle Woman Prints.
“I’ve always been an expressive person. As a kid, I used to get in trouble for doodling in class, but look at me now,” she laughs. Her culture, studies, joy of music and art have all collided in a way that translates into contemporary perspectives of traditional art and traditional knowledge.
Before starting her small business Valiquette worked as a cultural facilitator and youth facilitator at a non-profit organization called Altered Minds Inc. Here she developed a curriculum to introduce Indigenous worldviews to newcomer youth and using her innate creativity, Valiquette turned boring white walls into
colourful learning tools to deliver educational workshops for the youth. Oddly enough this was her introduction to graphic design.
She would gauge the effectiveness of her prints by the youth’s interest. Her first successful teaching tool/artistic creation included the Seven Grandfather Teachings. Since it was a hit with the youth, Valiquette thought other people might also appreciate it. She turned to Etsy and started selling one piece at a time. The response rate was so positive, and the rest is history.
When it came time to register her business, there were so many things she had to learn. What do business taxes look like? How and when to write off expenses? Valiquette says “I didn’t know anything about business or finance, but I think when you find something you’re so passionate about, you just figure it out as you go because you have to. And I asked a lot of questions.” She emailed many professionals, whom she didn’t know, and asked for their expertise. To her surprise, everyone was very helpful. “I learned by immersing myself and doing. That’s my biggest advice. It takes a lot of guts to do that but you’ve got to put yourself out there.”
At the same time as she was learning how to run a business, she was working full-time and moving into a new apartment and “had zero budget,” so Valiquette used her art to decorate her walls.
“I sometimes say my art is a little bit ‘Neechie’ and a little bit Ikea.” Instead of spending over $40.00 at Ikea and getting the same piece of artwork as everybody else, I think this is a cool way to reclaim Indigenous identity differently. There are so many ways to express Indigeneity and it doesn’t have
to be through a traditional lens.” Valiquette hopes that her creations will adorn the walls of people’s homes and offices and be the source of a conversation starter.
When asked what economic empowerment means to her Valiquette said, “Shopping local, shopping small and shopping Indigenous. When you support your neighbours or buy from the shop next door, you might fund somebody’s kid’s piano lessons or their mother’s medications. That’s one step we can take to funnel money back into our communities.”
“I also think it’s important to uplift those matriarchs in our society and shift the power, ensuring wealth and health come back to us in a good way. Traditionally, there wasn’t this idea of monetary wealth and whoever has the most is the richest,” she notes. “It was the practice of giving away if you had too much that is something I wish was reflected more in our communities. It’s such an important part of self-determination and Indigenous communities reclaiming our power.”
When discussing a vision for the future Valiquette reflects on what she has learned in her short time as a business owner. She feels, now more than ever, it is critical to have
big loud voices in this space for the economic benefit of Indigenous Peoples and communities. “I see all of these incredible entrepreneurs around me who are using art, makeup and clothing to reclaim and celebrate Indigenous identity and it’s so inspiring!” she says.
Valiquette hopes to expand her business, continue to work with youth through hosting cultural and beading workshops and engage in Indigenous social justice movements. “When we consider reconciliation and the changes we want, it won’t happen without youth engagement. So setting up those stepping stones for our youth and getting them one step further on that ladder is what we need to do. The more money, time and effort we put into empowering our youth in a good way will ensure our future is bright and shining.”
Danielle Vienneau, Editorin-Chief with SAY Magazine, believes in the power of sharing positive stories to inspire greatness in others. To submit your story, email editor@ saymag.com
At
Desiree Brightnose is one of 35 inspiring business and community leaders presenting at workshops at the 2024 Vision Quest Conference and Trade Show, which will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from May 15 to 16.
Aproud ininīw woman from Chemawawin Cree Nation, Brighthnose owns and operates Tilted Teepee Productions, a video production company located in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory. Brightnose uses her creativity to unlock “the power of spirit through storytelling” to create captivating films and does so through photography, videography, aerial cinema, and editing.
Last year Brightnose was honored with the prestigious RBC Emerging Indigenous Filmmaker Award, which has allowed her
to invest in advancing her career and expanding the reach of her company. In 2020 Brightnose graduated as valedictorian from Assiniboine Community College, where she studied interactive media arts, and in 2021 she was one of nine students selected to the National Screen Institute’s CBC New Indigenous Voices program. “I used to be such a quiet, timid person, and it wasn’t until I started my program at College that I found my voice and the confidence to step into who I am as an Indigenous woman. And that’s where it all started,” says Brightnose.
As a workshop facilitator, she looks forward to sharing her knowledge with delegates at the Vision Quest Conference and Trade Show. In the first of two workshops, Brightnose will share her business journey on a panel alongside two other presenters, Lorne Pelletier and Dwayne Bird. The second workshop, Introduction to Filmmaking; A Beginners’ Guide to Camera Work, is a hands-on interactive session for youth. During this workshop, Brightnose will cover fundamental camera functions, and explore camera movement and framing techniques to enhance filming capabilities and storytelling prowess through the camera.
“I’m grateful to have been asked to be a presenter,” says Brightnose. “I am humbled because I’m still learning. I hope the information I have to share will help others who want to start their own companies because we live in such a colonized world. I hope I can bring those teachings and make the business space a better environment for our people.”
Her passion for Indigenous language revitalization and cultural knowledge led her to establish Tilted Teepee Productions in 2020. Through her company, she is a dedicated advocate for Indigenous stories, fostering deeper cultural connections and bridging cultural knowledge. Her compelling narratives expertly blend digital media and storytelling, empowering Indigenous Peoples to reconnect with their culture and heritage.
When asked about the business name, Titled Teepee Productions, she says, “I wanted something that would speak to my culture, and back then, our stories were told in teepees. As my husband and I were brainstorming, the word “tilted” came up and not only did it sound good but it made sense. Not everything has to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be perfectly straight. So that’s where the name comes from.”
In addition to expanding her business, she has some big plans for the future. "Because I grew up in Brandon, I didn’t grow up around or have access to speakers. My grandparents lived up north so I didn’t have access to knowledge keepers," she explains. "I want to work on language revitalization with a language series I am working on. I want to help bridge the gap, and make it easier for beginners to learn from the comfort of their own homes.” Brightnose has also written some short films that she would like to start developing, and after finding an office space, she hopes to hire a crew in the near future. “It’s a slow process, but there’s no rush. It all comes with time. I still consider myself a baby in the industry.”
Brightnose enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge and hopes to continue offering workshops for others, especially youth. “I’ve been given a lot of great opportunities, like presenting at Vision Quest,” says Brightnose. “I want to help the next generation of storytellers and get them started. That’s really what it’s all about.”
In addition to meeting Brightnose and other inspiring leaders, delegates attending the 2024 Vision Quest Conference and Trade Show can expect a jam-packed two days. There are 14 workshops to choose from, including hearing from two highprofile keynote presenters: producer, mentor, and entrepreneur Lisa Meeches and award-winning actor/ comedian Tatanka Means. Attendees will also enjoy the highly anticipated Trade Show which is free to the public. SAY Magazine is honoured to once again be a Vision Quest media partner at the event and will be hosting a booth during the trade show.
For more information about the 2024 Vision Quest Conference and Trade Show, visit vqconference.com.
I hope I can bring those teachings and make the business space a better environment for our people.
~ Desiree Brightnose
Danielle Vienneau, Editorin-Chief with SAY Magazine, believes in the power of sharing positive stories to inspire greatness in others. To submit your story, email editor@ saymag.com.
Karesa Tegart has been around airplanes since birth. She has watched them soar high above her and been a passenger countless times during her 30 plus years on the planet. Her father is a pilot. Inspired by his craft and adventures, Tegart has dreamed of becoming a pilot for as long as she can remember, and now that dream is becoming reality.
Having tried several avenues to pursue her dream of flying, she came across LS Airways Flight Academy. With the support of the Southeast Training and Development Program (Community Futures Manitoba) and after four years of training, Tegart is looking forward to graduating in the fall. “This is a really important milestone for me, as an Indigenous woman working in aviation which has been traditionally a male-dominated industry,” she says. “I’ve worked hard and I want to show my daughter that you can achieve your goals if you just go for it.”
The training she received at LS Airways Flight Academy will
Sponsored by:
enable her to graduate with a private pilot license and a commercial pilot license, opening the doors to various aviation opportunities within Canada and internationally. While her father is set to retire from flying for a major Canadian airline soon, Tegart is happy to continue her family legacy in the air.
Chief Flight Instructor Noura
Gharib is thrilled to witness the development of women who complete the program at LS Airways and who are able to lead fulfilling careers in aviation. Originating from Egypt and a pilot herself, Gharib experienced many challenges and injustices along her journey and has made it her mission to ensure a positive
learning experience for those who wish to pursue a career in this industry. She also recognizes the need for more Indigenous pilots, especially those familiar with life in Northern remote communities. “It’s an important role,” says Gharib, “because the food security of many communities depends on pilots and planes.” She also references the need for medical transport and other needs that isolated communities require by air. “It’s a vital role that we take seriously,” she says.
Located in Gimli, Manitoba, LS Airways operates out of a privately owned hangar, with a small professional team, two aircraft and various simulators. “Pilot proficiency is paramount,” says Gharib. “We make sure our pilots are the best. Failure is not an option.” LS Airways provides a structured educational curriculum for optimal preparation and education, requiring multiple skill evaluations at various points in training. Their experienced teachers are the nucleus and
the heart of their pilot training process. LS Airways accepts applications from all over the world and currently has over 40 students (Canadian and international) training to be pilots.
In addition to pilot training LS Airways also offers an experience for tourists visiting the popular summer destination of Gimli, by way of a 40-minute scenic flight tour along the shoreline.
Gharib looks forward to supporting Tegart and other graduates in their careers and hopes that some will return as instructors. She also hopes that larger companies, such as Perimeter Aviation, and First Nations in Canada, will see the value in supporting Indigenous students looking to pursue aviation as a career, knowing that it will only strengthen this country’s economic growth.
For admissions and more information about LS Airways Flight Academy, please visit lsairwaysflightacademy.ca.
This is a really important milestone for me, as an Indigenous woman working in aviation which has been traditionally a male-dominated industry. I’ve worked hard and I want to show my daughter that you can achieve your goals if you just go for it.
~ Karesa Tegart
Currently residing on the unceded territory of the Sto:lo people, Chantelle TrainorMatties is an artist from British Columbia, Canada with Nisga’a and Métis heritage. She is a talented visual artist specializing in illustration, graphic design, painting and mural work. An entrepreneur, TrainorMatties enjoys the freedom of being her own boss and does primarily freelance work for private and commercial clientele through her small business Frettchan Studios. Her work ranges from bold contemporary Northwest Coast formline to charming cartoons to painterly realism, and many of her pieces have been displayed in various galleries in British Columbia.
SAY Magazine recently caught up with Trainor-Matties to learn more about being a small business owner and how she has been reclaiming her Indigeneity through many pathways including art.
SAY: You mentioned you grew up disconnected from your heritage. When and how did you start reclaiming your Indigenous identity?
Trainor-Matties: My journey of reclaiming my Indigeneity began in my mid-20s, learning more about our history, culture, and of course, the artwork because creating is how I express myself and connect with the world around me. My Indigenous ancestry is that of Nisga’a and Métis—the journey of reclaiming is a never-ending one, but it has been very fulfilling, and I still have a lot of work to do. I’m currently closer to my Nisga’a roots and that is where my Indigenous visual art connection lies in my style of contemporary Northwest Coast formline that I illustrate alongside my other styles such as cartoons and realism.
SAY: Have you always been an artist?
Trainor-Matties: I’ve always loved to draw! It sounds cliché, but I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I can look back at all the creations my mother saved and see my journey through that pencil. I can see what I liked, what I was passionate about, what I was struggling with, what style I liked, and how it has developed up until now.
SAY: What was your journey to starting a business and becoming an entrepreneur?
Trainor-Matties: I worked in the service industry for many years after graduating high school. While I liked to draw, it was more of a hobby until I decided to go back to school at the University of the Fraser Valley for visual arts. I did a two-year diploma program there and learned a lot about who I was as an artist and an Indigenous person, and it revamped my love for painting. I made a lot of connections through my time in university and many doors opened for me to make money from what I love to do, creating!
It all happened so fast—it came to a point where I needed to register as a small business owner to sell my art and take on freelance opportunities. I had signed on with a social enterprise called Nations Creations (since sold) that supported Indigenous artists by putting their work on merchandise and paying fair royalties. This introduced me to the licensing part of the industry, and I continue to work with and license out my artwork to different companies today. Running a small business is no easy task. It is something I didn’t even know I would end up doing, but it’s been such a fulfilling aspect of my career as an artist. I’ve been slowly expanding my business, painting anything from small canvases to large public murals, drawing digital illustrations and offering graphic design work.
SAY: What are some of the challenges of owning a small business?
Trainor-Matties: One of the biggest challenges for me is all of the different “hats” you have to wear as a small business owner and by this, I mean, I am the artist working on many projects at once, marketing manager, photographer, accountant, etc. It’s a lot of learning and can be very overwhelming at times. Sometimes I feel like I’m stretched too thin, but I also have the support of my husband Joshua who helps me where and when he can. Having a support network is a huge help.
Another thing I like to point out is I was made fun of (even by my friends) for going to art school to “draw silly pictures.” Many people don’t think you can make a living being an artist. It is a competitive and challenging industry, but it is possible. It is important to encourage and support other artists and entrepreneurs.
SAY: What, and or who inspires your work?
Trainor-Matties: I’m inspired by life around me, which could be anything from my loved ones, pets, nature, my Indigeneity, the macabre aspects of life, what’s going on in pop culture you name it! Most of my work revolves around animals in some capacity, whether it’s my late animal companions, my ferrets, wildlife and fictional characters.
SAY: I read that your pets, ferrets and cats, have been a major source of inspiration for you. Please tell us about them.
Trainor-Matties: Ferrets are fantastic creatures, a splice between a dog and cat with distinct personalities and quirks that consumed me as a “ferrent” or ferret parent. Sadly, they’ve all crossed the Rainbow Bridge, so they’re no longer with us physically, but they, along with my late cat Choco are with me in spirit, and I keep them alive through my illustrations. Even if I’m sneaking an otter into an illustration, it’s because otters are simply wild water ferrets and I want to share my love for them with others. Even in this interview, I’m keeping their memory alive by sharing a little about them with SAY Magazine
My small business name is Frettchan Studios—a play on the words ferret and my name Chantelle.
SAY: What does economic reconciliation and empowerment mean to you?
Trainor-Matties: As an Indigenous artist, this means highlighting and supporting local Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s allowing me to share my artwork with the community all while being able to help support my family, giving me more time to reconnect with my Indigenous roots. The more I create, the more I learn, and the more I learn, the more I create. I’m also learning the Nisga’a language with my family, and creating art helps me learn and retain new words. This helps keep the art practice, culture and language alive for future generations.
I also get to use my artwork to further help other Indigenous folks, businesses and non-profits by partnering with them and using my artwork to raise funds and awareness for Indigenous-focused programs and campaigns.
SAY: What are your goals for the future?
Trainor-Matties: I have a lot of fun projects ahead such as illustrating a children’s book, spreading more of my art through paintings and public murals, and maybe even having my art turned into fine jewelry.
All that said, my main goal is to have a happy and healthy family and to continue running a business that helps pay the bills and helps make a positive impact on other people’s lives. I hope to be able to enjoy life, continue my journey of connecting with my heritage, and hopefully pass what I’ve learned onto future generations.
SAY: What advice do you have for others starting a business?
Trainor-Matties: Breathe. I must be reminded of it often because being a business owner can be overwhelming. Do your research, learn how to properly do your taxes, and don’t compare yourself to others.
Jason Neepin smiles and shakes his head when he thinks of the times he has spent up North. Neepin, a fortysomething Cree, heads up Broadband Communications North (BCN), a company moving toward the provision of broadband internet and cellular services for northern Manitoba First Nations.
Neepin knows a world where things you’re supposed to have exist, on paper. And they do exist, at least most of the time. “You’re always in need of something,” he says. “But pipes freeze in winter, furnaces go out in the dead of night and internet well, let’s just say that we have a ways to go there.”
Knowing the North is a true advantage for Neepin as Executive Director of BCN. As he moves the company toward its ultimate goal, he understands the needs and nuances of living in a remote community and the people he works for.
For Neepin, it’s not just business, it’s personal. “I know what it’s like to have terrible internet, to feel disconnected from the rest of the world,” he says. “I lived in Fox Lake eight years ago and we had BCN—I was a customer then—and the internet was so slow. It took forever to download anything, so I would take my truck and go to the band office and download things from their internet.”
Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, BCN offers C-band satellite from Telesat (an older technology) for 18 satellite communities and services over 80 rural, northern, and remote communities in Manitoba. What
started as a grassroots Indigenous organization has grown into a leading internet service provider (ISP) able to provide the full range of technologies required to deliver connectivity to customers across the province utilizing satellite, fixed wireless, and fiber optics technologies.
They provide a variety of Internet and data services to a wide range of customers, from residential to business. “As one of the largest Indigenous community networks in Canada, we exist because the larger tech companies refused to service our northern remote communities,” explains Neepin. “BCN started through SchoolNet, providing internet to northern Manitoba schools, and then we expanded into nursing stations. That’s our core business.”
Neepin has worked in his role with BCN for almost three years and is eager to bring “city internet” to all First Nations in the North, but the process is slow. BCN will connect three communities to fiber internet this year, but they need more support to better serve the other 26 communities on the waiting list. “Nobody else would service our market. We have old technology, but we are upgrading it consistently to get more communities connected,” he says.
For this reason, BCN has requested over 400 million dollars from several funding agencies, including the federal government, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and ISED Mobility to upgrade its network.
“I truly believe in our mission and am so passionate about the work we do because it addresses issues of connection which are crucial in
today’s society,” says Neepin. “It’s about fairness and equality and we try to represent those same values in how the business is run.” BCN is governed by a board of directors that includes representatives from six of Manitoba’s seven tribal councils and members of the independent bands Cross Lake and Nelson House.
A third of BCN staff is Indigenous, and many in the IT field are from other countries, such as China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and more. “We are a multinational corporation, but we aim to employ a minimum of 33 percent Indigenous employees at all times in various positions,” explains Neepin. The main office is located on reserve, which Neepin believes helps with Indigenous employee retention. BCN offers a comprehensive benefits package for their employees, as well as a gym membership for those interested because “we want our staff to be healthy and take care of themselves,” says Neepin. He also explains that staff turnover rates used to be quite high, so they underwent an evaluation process with a local HR firm to improve HR processes and increase staff retention.
“We realized that our staff was being underpaid,” says Neepin, “and we were frequently losing people to Manitoba Hydro. Now we make sure our employees are taken care of, paid market rates, and that our management is paid appropriately.” Turnover rates are much lower now, which makes a world of difference for BCN and the quality of service they can offer. Taking employee retention one step further, Neepin explains how BCN hopes to increase pension benefits for employees as well. Austin Burtniak is the marketing and communications specialist for BCN and describes the office culture as welcoming, inviting, and accepting. “It’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced at another job before,” he says. “It’s encouraging to be in this space and around this group.” Furthermore, Burtniak speaks to BCN’s role in economic reconciliation and empowerment. “It’s about nationbuilding,” he says. “Part of BCN’s mission is providing equitable access to broadband, to all of Manitoba, and we’re doing it, two or three communities at a time. We want the same experience as everybody else in Canada.”
BCN has made great strides as an ISP; however, they have encountered significant challenges along the way, such as with the Pallister government.
“They basically handcuffed us,” Neepin says. “We have two communities, Pine Creek and Lake Manitoba, ready to be lit up; however, the Pallister government forbade any new hookups.” Both communities are equipped with the necessary tower and are ready to go, with the wire in the ground, but BCN is unable to tie into the dark fiber. “The hope is the new NDP government will let us tie in because all this dark fiber runs through our traditional territories. This is Manitoba’s dark fiber and there should be no reason the province and Hydro should deny us access to this,” shares Neepin who sees this as an important part of reconciliation in Manitoba.
When it comes to the long-term goals of BCN, Neepin tells SAY Magazine they are looking to embark on a fiveyear project that will bridge the gap until a low-earth orbit satellite solution is available from Telesat. “Right now, we are working with two Ontario companies, PomeGran out of Toronto and Rock Networks out of Ottawa, to provide a short-term solution and, in the meantime, bring in fiber as best we can.”
BCN also happens to have three subsidiaries that others may not know about: Mahkesis, which provides local distribution for ICT products, including network, wireless and computing; Binesi, a training center where information and communications technology training is provided in Winnipeg; and INWave, a telecom company that will offer retail and enterprise connectivity services while providing First Nations with an opportunity to participate as partners and shareholders. “We also have exciting joint ventures with some of our partners in building fiber optics for some communities, so it’s a really exciting time,” says Neepin.
With over 20 years of servicing communities in Manitoba, Neepin and his team look forward to increasing BCN’s capacity to connect more people and facilitate access to critical services through telecommunications for another 20 plus years.
For more information on BCN, visit gobcn.ca
I truly believe in our mission and am so passionate about the work we do because it addresses issues of connection which are crucial in today’s society.
~ Jason Neepin
Danielle Vienneau, Editorin-Chief with SAY Magazine, believes in the power of sharing positive stories to inspire greatness in others. To submit your story, email editor@ saymag.com
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The most prominent First Nations community in Manitoba, Peguis First Nation, has a sound economic development strategy and is actively engaged in numerous projects that promise to bolster the community’s economic growth. Leadership is a key factor in moving forward and building relationships with stakeholders, businesses and intergovernmental agencies to undertake special projects, and that’s where the Peguis Consultation and Special Projects Inc. (PCSP) department plays a critical role.
In addition to protecting heritage resources and undertaking important archeological projects in Manitoba, PCSP has been making considerable strides in amending the Heritage Act in the future—a story SAY Magazine will continue to follow as it unfolds. PCSP has a successful land-based program and is involved in many climate change conversations and projects involving clean energy.
Kinnan Stevenson-French, environmental projects coordinator, is taking the lead on clean energy initiatives for PCSP. He is particularly excited about the newest undertaking involving electric vehicles, funded by Natural Resources Canada. “We have been engaging our community and helping everyone understand where Canada, North America, and the world are going with electric vehicles,” says Stevenson-French. “We plan to start with a few electric vehicles and down the line, electric buses.” This would no doubt reduce emissions and reduce overall costs for Peguis First Nation and put them on the map as a leader in energyefficient enterprises.
PCSP Director Mike Sutherland is optimistic about what it means for First Nations communities but is worried some will get left behind if they get on board with the idea now. “Winnipeg and many surrounding cities have natural gas, but if First Nations don’t get on board, a lot of these little towns and hamlets
are going to be left out,” he says. “We want to keep up with the rest of the world and make sure that the electric vehicle concept is growing within our communities and that our people can purchase and charge them.” PCSP has already invested time and money into community members who are knowledgeable in this area by sending them for extensive training on the maintenance and efficiency of electric vehicles.
Plans are underway to develop a solar farm in Peguis to offset the use of hydroelectricity in several larger venues in the area, and the community is also looking at developing and creating a manufacturing plant for hydrogen capsules. “In order to create hydrogen cells for vehicles, you need a lot of hydro and water. And Manitoba has both,” says Sutherland.
Sutherland further explains the need to lead First Nations communities in the business of clean energy. “We have an important role here. It’s about increasing awareness and engagement because there’s so much economic opportunity.”
PCSP also significantly focuses on its traditional environmental monitoring program. “Anything that impacts the use of the land and by our people means we have to be engaged,” says Sutherland. A team from PCSP did a heritage site assessment last year and is consulting on a six-year project for a two-billion-dollar Winnipeg Water and Waste Treatment Plant.
In the foreseeable future, PCSP hopes to secure federal funding to support other First Nation communities in building capacity to develop offices like theirs that deal with Section 35 consultation and engagement, environmental impact statements, and environmental assessments. Additionally, PCSP offers terrestrial and aquatic monitor training and is engaging a postsecondary institution to certify the training modules.
“We are involved in many different things, including major hydro projects, so we’re starting to understand all of these industries better and how they impact our economy and the environment,” says Sutherland. “Our role includes educating others about our traditional knowledge, values of the land, and how much we value water. It’s not just beneficial for us, but it’s beneficial for industry, government, and the general public to understand a First Nation perspective when it comes to the land and why it’s so important for us to be sustainable. We don’t want to stop progress, but we’ve got to make sure that the
footprint left behind us is minimal, and that our communities are also flourishing.”
With all of the initiatives being taken on, PCSP will be looking to hire additional staff and monitors, especially during the busy summer months. For anyone interested in learning more about PSCP and future career opportunities, visit peguisconsultation.ca.
The Peguis Consultation and Special Projects Inc. (PCSP) is a unique department of Peguis First Nation in Manitoba that focuses on Section 35 consultations and special projects. This department was created in 2012-2013 to ensure adequate engagement processes were established, including environmental hearings at the provincial and federal levels. The office now has over 20 staff members and nine departments: Section 35 Consultation, Engagement and Accommodations, Environmental Department, Traditional Environmental Monitoring, Land-Based Education, Forestry, Archeological and Heritage Resources Department, Mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS), Community Comprehensive Planning (CCP) and Community Development.
Danielle Vienneau, Editorin-Chief with SAY Magazine, believes in the power of sharing positive stories to inspire greatness in others. To submit your story, email editor@ saymag.com.
Award-winning singer-songwriter Janet Panic is a Bohemian-Métis folk-pop artist. The British Columbiabased artist recently released her newest album, A Mighty Rip Through the Page of My Life, featuring 10 tracks of folk-roots numbers Panic calls “raw as road rash, bare as your birthday suit, and melancholy as first love.”
With heartfelt contributions from family and friends, the creation of this album was truly a family affair. The songs on this album “are songs about relationships, and reflect a simpler time when friends were made and maintained face-toface, and online life was the stuff of science fiction,” says Panic. Described as a “Métis style” record, she wrote songs with her father, husband Will, and her brother-in-law.
A Mighty Rip Through the Page of My Life showcases Panic’s highly compelling musical personality. The overarching theme of the album is evident in the relationships between the musicians who articulate the album sentiment through acoustic sounds with electric guitar and pedal steel. Panic’s husband plays bass on the record and one of his old friends and bandmates, Craig Wright (who now plays with Nashville singersongwriter Eric Church) plays the drums.
With more than four solo albums to her credit, Panic’s captivating solo and band performances have been seen on numerous major national networks over the years. She has many awards and honours on her resume including a 2011 nomination for a Canadian Folk Music Award as well as an Aboriginal People’s Choice
Award, and her 2011 release, Samples, garnered her Best Folk Album at the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples' Choice Music Awards and a 2013 Juno Award nomination.
The new album is bound for even greater acclaim. As a teaser to the new record, Panic chose to release not one, but two singles, each showing a different side to her lived experiences and creativity. “Goodbyes” is an unexpected breakup song that one might hope to receive from a partner when things finally reach their end and “I Forgot” is a more somber song, about a small child taken from their home, placed in the foster care system, and never told why. “This is the experience of several of my friends and some members of my family,” says Panic. “They were placed with well-meaning families, but of a completely different culture and skin colour.” Panic noticed they all expressed deep remorse for forgetting any memory of who they were and of their times before. “They long for the missing pieces of their identity that can never be known. There is sadness and guilt inside them for having forgotten that which cannot be reclaimed,” she explains.
With these singles as a striking introduction, the new record released on February 24, 2024, is sure to spark conversation and turn heads.
Diana Hellson was born of the Treaty 7 Siksika Nation in Alberta and adopted the name Mamarudegyal MTHC (MRG) commercially in 2017. She is an Afro-Indigenous Hip Hop and R&B artist and the founder of the multimedia group Reudegang Entertainment (RGE), but she is so much more. MRG is the manifestation of talent.
Showing an interest in performing at a young age, MRG spent her early years exploring dance, singing, performance art, and every creative endeavor that came her way. With the encouragement of her mother Charlene Hellson, she was launched into the Indigenous arts community. Never one to shy away from a challenge, she began teaching Hip Hop classes in her local YMCA and soon made connections in the Indigenous rap world through Indigenous Rapper Lil Smokey. A quickly developing talent, she joined Lil Smokey in opening for Tech N9ne and Winnipeg’s Most. Every door she could find, she tested for educational and personal growth. To add to her repertoire, she joined Ellipsis Tree (ETC), an Afrocentric performance company, and added Krump Dance to her repertoire with the Empirical Freedom Family. It was with the Empirical Freedom Family that she was given her name Mamarudegyal (think Mama Rude Gal) from Oliver Reyes (Reignmaker), and Mamarudegyal MTHC (MRG) the author and performing artist was born.
Soon after the release of her selftitled album in 2016, it was time to relocate for career success. Just two weeks after moving to British Columbia (BC), MRG played the historic Olympia in Surrey and began performing there weekly, cementing her firmly into the BC Indigenous music scene. Regardless of her success, she was unhappy with what she experienced in the
music ecosystem. MRG witnessed sexist and racist tokenization and gate-keeping and she was not about to be quiet about it. She thrived in this ecosystem while making waves—then she outgrew it. It was time for a new pond and this time she would create her own with her own rules. Rudegang Entertainment (RGE) made MRG a music executive, producer, filmmaker, and inclusion consultant.
MRG continues to win awards in her own right including the Fraser Valley Music Awards in 2017 and 2018 and she beat 26 Vancouver bands to secure first place in Vanocouver’s Shindig Battle of the Bands and taking home the win for the Battle of the Iron Mic. She’s accomplished all this while providing a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for other Indigenous artists. Along this journey, she has also produced two documentaries, “The Foundation: Indigenous Hip Hop in Canada (2018) and, for the Weltkulturen Museum of Frankfurt, Germany, “Let Them Speak” (2020).
Despite discomfort and pushback from incels and racists online, MRG holds strong to her vows and the solutions she knows are possible. Only tomorrow will tell where it will take her, but if MRG’s track record of determination and success is any indicator, she is certainly on her way up, carving a path for other BIPOC artists to thrive in similar spaces.
LittleEagle is guided by wisdom and is an ambassador of his community, a keeper of tradition, and an arc between past and present.
Hailing from the small country town of Canyon Lake, Texas, singersongwriter, musician and storyteller Ryan LittleEagle has traveled widely sharing his musical gifts. Yet, his spirit finds rest outside of the Black Hills of South Dakota, the homeland of the Oceti Sakowin (Lakota, Dakota, and Nakoda tribes).
LLittleEagle began his musical journey with the Native American flute, skillfully weaving traditional Indigenous melodies with contemporary music. He has shared the stage with legends of Native music R Carlos Nakai, Tony Duncan and Shea Redhorse, and has earned numerous awards from the Native American Music Awards and the Canadian Indigenous Music Awards.
Like a tumbleweed, he was driven here and there in true troubadour fashion, playing 300 plus shows annually over 15 years sharing his soul-stirring originals. LittleEagle’s wandering took him beyond borders as an emissary for North American Indigenous music performing in South America with the cultural music project called Perusa El Ultimo Inka alongside Andean legend Wayanay Inka. Wherever he’s roamed he has embraced diverse cultural landscapes and enriched his musical abilities with new rhythms and instruments.
With three studio albums under his belt, Straight from the Heart (2012), The Long Journey Home (2013) and My Songs My Stories (2014), he returned to his childhood roots in South Texas in 2019 to delve deeper into his art. Inspired by legendary
musical storytellers Johnny Cash and George Strait, and moderns like Jason Isbell, he created a space for himself in Country/Americana music with his 2021 album Chronicles—an opportunity to retell his tales of life, love and resilience.
Still, LittleEagle found a deep need calling to him—a need to further explore his ancestral roots. This journey led him to immerse himself in the culture and stories of his people and community in South Dakota. Here he has become a beacon of Indigenous pride and cultural revival, sharing his heritage with audiences around the world.
His latest album Native Americana (2023) has been followed by the single, “Til I’m Gone,” released in February of 2024, which epitomizes his enduring commitment to his style of storytelling and melody.
LittleEagle, however, is so much more than a singer-songwriter. He is guided by wisdom and is an ambassador of his community, a keeper of tradition, and an arc between past and present. His public appearances and educational endeavors raise awareness regarding Indigenous issues while championing his people with dignity.
by LARRY K.
In April, Canada celebrated Indigenous Tourism Day and National Tourism Week, and we want to continue the excitement for the upcoming summer months with the next issue, Tourism and Travel.
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