Musicians howl for Cree
Northwest Territory Metis Nation releases compilation album in aboriginal language
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, June 22, 2015
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
One way to learn how to speak is to sing. That's the idea behind a new Cree-language album that was released in Fort Smith just in time for National Aboriginal Day, June 21.
Mary Cardinal, a Fort Smith elder and one of the performers on a new Cree-language album, records a song at a workshop in January. - NNSL file photo |
"Music as an educational tool is really effective and beautiful," said Kyle Napier, manager of the Cree Language Program with the Northwest Territory Metis Nation.
"So when people listen to the songs, the hope is that they'll find it catchy and remember the words and find themselves singing along, and as they're singing along wanting to understand the translation."
The album, which features an image of a howling wolf on the CD cover, is called Nehiyaw Nikamonak: Oyoyowak Ohci Nanaskomowin. That's Cree for Cree Songs: Howls for Gratitude. It contains 14 Cree-language songs. Some already existed, while others were newly recorded for the album.Napier said eight of the artists are from the South Slave area, while six are more nationally recognized.
"The intention from the beginning was to reach out to more nationally-recognized Cree performing musicians and invite them to contribute a track for this Cree compilation album," he explained. "The idea behind that was to feature our regional artists alongside more nationally-recognized artists who have taken the initiative to perform these beautiful compositions in Cree."
Two Cree dialects are heard on the album. There is Bush Cree, which is prominent in the NWT, and Plains Cree, the most widely spoken indigenous language in Canada. There are currently about 190 Bush Cree speakers in the NWT, mainly in Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Resolution and Yellowknife.
The performers are Mary Cardinal, A Tribe Called Red, Veronica Johnny, Jason Burnstick, The Johnnys, Art Napoleon, State of the Art, K.A.S.P.
featuring Winston Wuttunee, Gerald and Gerry Poitras, Iskwew Singers, Dominic Abraham, Northern Cree, Jordann Poitras and Kelcey Pierrot.
As an example of the variety of songs on the album, Napier pointed to a Cree version of The Hockey Song by Fort Smith father and son Gerald and Gerry Poitras in honour of the late Stompin' Tom Connors.
"It really is quite the fun song," said Napier.
Another song is by Fort Smith elder Mary Cardinal, who is fluent in Cree.
"She's the elder that helped push the project along most," noted Napier. "She provided translations for more than half of the songs and sang on a few songs. She was at all the workshops. She's really the elder behind the project."
Cardinal, who sang a drum song written by her granddaughter, has heard the album and is pleased with the final product.
"I think it's pretty good," she said. She explained she helped out with the project because she's a Cree translator and assisted in translating lyrics for some songs.
"The album, I think it kind of pushes people that want to learn the language and if they want to sing in their language. I think that's the main goal here trying to get people to listen to the album so that they can hear the language."
The album was scheduled to be handed out for free on Aboriginal Day in Fort Smith and all of the songs are also available for free download on the album's website as well.
"Something that we really wanted to support was making this album available for free for everyone, especially for people learning the language," said Napier. "So it works beautifully."
The album took six months
and about $60,000 to create. The money was used for workshops, recording songs, paying performers, manufacturing the CDs and licensing rights.
The Cree Language Program of the Northwest Territory Metis Nation receives annual funding from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.
The album was co-produced by Veronica Johnny of Fort Smith and Travis Mercredi of Yellowknife. The title of the album is based on the traditional belief that wolves howl before and after eating to express gratitude.
"So us coming together, collaborating and singing is quite like a pack of wolves howling," said Napier. "It is an expression of gratitude for our language."
