MUSIC – Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous peoples have created music ‘since time immemorial,’ with musical expression remaining integral to all Indigenous cultures. Colonialism inflicted severe damage on cultural and musical practices through residential schools, the Indian Act, forced Inuit relocations, and other systemic discrimination that still has reverberating negative impacts today, such as significant losses of language and cultural memory.

However, Indigenous music and dance has persisted. The 1960s marked a turning point, as civil rights and the American Indian movement catalyzed a resurgence and revitalization in Indigenous rights, activism, language, culture, and arts, including music. Indigenous musicians have shaped the Canadian music industry for decades, from early trailblazers to contemporary artists addressing political and social issues, with exponential growth since the mid 1990’s. Indigenous music defies simple categorization, as artists work across and beyond established genres, their identity naturally infusing their diverse musical expressions rather than conforming to any single style or category.

In the Fraser Valley today, Indigenous communities are innovatively employing modern technology to preserve and revitalize their cultural heritage through initiatives like the Good Medicine Songs podcast. This digital platform represents a crucial adaptation in the ongoing effort to maintain traditional musical practices and languages. The urgency of these preservation efforts stems from the devastating impact of colonization and the residential school system, where First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were subjected to abuse for speaking their traditional languages. These contemporary preservation initiatives are part of a critical race against time, as Indigenous communities work to restore and revitalize hundreds of their languages before they vanish.