WikiMini

Northern Cree

Northern Cree
OriginMaskwacis, Alberta, Canada
GenresPowwow
Years active1982–present

Northern Cree, also known as the Northern Cree Singers, is a powwow and Round Dance drum and singing group based in Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada.[1][2][3] Formed in 1982 by Randy Wood, with brothers Charlie and Earl Wood of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, the group's members originate from the Treaty 6 area.[4][1][2] These include Ferlin McGillvary, Steve Wood and Joel Wood.[5] Additional members are Shane Dion, Leroy Whitstone, Penny McGilvery, Jonas Tootoosis, Marlon Deschamps, Conan Yellowbird, Dezi Chocan, Ben Cardinal, Kyle Pasquayak, JohnBoy Moosomin, Randall Paskemin and Mickso Deschamps.[6]

Regarded as one of the best acts in modern Native American powwow music, they have been named one of the most respected powwow groups in North America and the world.[7][1][2] The group, or their music, has been described as "remarkably unified and powerful," "attention-grabbing," and "energetic."[8][9]

They are the only traditional Canadian Aboriginal group to have been nominated for a Grammy.[6] In 2017, the Singers, along with founder Randy Wood and Tanya Tagaq, won a Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble for the album Going Home Star.[10]

Discography

[edit]

Northern Cree has released 38 recordings.[11] Many are live recordings on Canyon Records.

Year Album
1991 Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 1
Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 2
Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 3: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Fort Duchesne
1993 Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 4: No Word Songs Please: Straight Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live
Vol. 5: Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live
1994 Vol. 6: Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live
1996 Vol. 7: Pow Wow Songs, Live at Lummi
Vol. 8: Come and Dance — Pow Wow Songs, Live at Whiteriver
1997 Dance Hard! : Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Poundmaker's Lodge
1998 Honor the Eagle Feather: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live in Kamloops
It's Time to Round Dance!
1999 Here to Stay
In Our Drum We Trust
Showtime: Round Dance Songs
2000 Rockin' the Rez: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake
Second Song: Dancer's Choice!: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake
2002 Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 1: Round Dance Songs Recorded Live
Round Dance Jam
Still Rezin′
2003 Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 2: Honoring Singers and Songmakers
2004 Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 3: Honoring Singers and Songmakers
Rezonate: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake
2005 Nikamo = "Sing": Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Samson
Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 4: Slide and Sway
2006 Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter Nights: Round Dance "Live!"
Stay Red: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Pullman
2007 Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 6: Calling All Dancers
Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 7: Dancin' til Sunrise
2008 Red Rock: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Muckleshoot
2009 True Blue
2010 Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs
2011 Drum Boy: Mistikwaskihk Napesis: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake
2012 Dancerz Groove: Cree Round Dance Songs
2013 Loyalty to the Drum: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live in Rocky Boy
2014 Breaking Boundaries: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Red Mountain
Ewipihcihk (ᐁᐏᐱᐦᒋᐦᐠ)[a]: Cree Round Dance Songs
2016 It's a Cree Thing: Cree Round Dance Songs
2017 Mîyo Kekisepa, Make a Stand: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Red Mountain
2018 Nîtisânak (Brothers and Sister): Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Shakopee
2019 When It's Cold: Cree Round Dance Songs
2022 Drums In the Pines: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live in Keshena

Other appearances

[edit]

Northern Cree was featured in the film Grey Owl (1999).[6][12] They are featured on the album Gathering of Nations Pow Wow 1999 (2000, Soar Records), which won a Grammy in 2001.[13] The group is featured in the song and music video "Indomitable" by DJ Shub, which was nominated for Best EDM/Dance Video in the 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards[14] and won Best Music Video in the 2017 Native American Music Awards.[15] They are featured on the CDs which accompany David Bouchard's children's books in Cree and English: Nokum Is My Teacher (2006) and The Drum Calls Softly (2008), both on Red Deer Press.[1][2]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominee/Work Result Ref
2002 Grammy Award Best Native American Music Album Rockin' the Rez Nominated [16]
2004 Still Rezin' Nominated [17]
2007 Northern Cree & Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter Nights Nominated [18]
2007 Juno Award Aboriginal Recording of the Year Stay Red Nominated [19]
2009 Grammy Award Best Native American Music Album Red Rock: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Muckleshoot Nominated [20]
2010 True Blue Nominated [21]
2011 Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs Nominated [22]
2017 Best Regional Roots Music Album It's a Cree Thing Nominated [23]
2017 Juno Award Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble Going Home Star Won [10]
2018 Grammy Award Best Regional Roots Music Album Miyo Kekisepa, Make a Stand [Live] Nominated [24]
2019 Juno Award Indigenous Music Album of the Year Nitisanak - Brothers and Sister Nominated [25]
2020 Grammy Award Best Regional Roots Music Album When It's Cold - Cree Round Dance Songs Nominated [26]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Title translates to "to go Round Dancing (with)," or, "he/she goes Round Dancing (with)"

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Bouchard, David (2006). Nokum Is My Teacher. Calgary: Red Deer Press. ISBN 9780889953673. OCLC 71344719.
  2. ^ a b c d Bouchard, David (2008). The Drum Calls Softly. Calgary: Red Deer Press. ISBN 9780889954212. OCLC 198523387.
  3. ^ Wong, Jessica (6 December 2016). "Beyoncé, Drake, Adele and Justin Bieber to vie for Grammy Awards". CBC. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
  4. ^ "Biography". Northern Cree Singers. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Northern Cree Singers". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b c La Rose, Lauren (6 February 2017). "Grammy award nominees Northern Cree will kick off ceremony in L.A." CBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Fort Duchesne AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Still Rezin' AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  9. ^ Huey, Steve. "Showtime AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  10. ^ a b Saxberg, Lynn; Hum, Peter (1 April 2017). "Gord Downie wins three Junos at music awards gala dinner Saturday night". The London Free Press. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  11. ^ "Northern Cree". Buffalo Jump Records. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Northern Cree - In Our Drum We Trust (CR-6291)". Canyon Records. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  13. ^ "43rd Grammy Awards". CNN. February 21, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  14. ^ Bliss, Karen. "Shawn Mendes, Grimes And A Tribe Called Red Lead The 2017 iHeartRadio MMVA Nominations". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Native American Music Awards 2017 Winners". Native American Music Awards. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Complete List Of Grammy Nominees". CBS News. January 4, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  17. ^ The Associated Press (December 8, 2003). "Grammy Award Winners". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  18. ^ "49th Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Past Nominees + Winners". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  20. ^ Conner, Thomas [in German] (December 3, 2008). "Complete list of Grammy nominees". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  21. ^ "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  22. ^ "53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  23. ^ "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. February 12, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  24. ^ "60th GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees List". Grammy.com. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018.
  25. ^ "2019 JUNO Award Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  26. ^ "2019 Grammy Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2022.