Northern Cree

Last updated
Northern Cree
Origin Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada
Genres Powwow
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]

Contents

Northern Cree has performed regularly at folk festivals Native American powwows across Canada and the United States and has won hundreds of championship powwow singing titles. [7]

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. [8]

Discography

Northern Cree has released 38 recordings. [7] Many are live recordings on Canyon Records.

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

Other appearances

Northern Cree was featured in the 1999 film Grey Owl . [6] [9] [7] They are featured on the album Gathering of Nations Pow Wow 1999 , which won a Grammy in 2001. [10] 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 [11] and won Best Music Video in the 2017 Native American Music Awards. [12] In 2017, the group performed live as part of the pre-telecast for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, which was the first time that traditional Native American or Indigenous music was performed on the Grammy stage. [7]

Northern Cree is 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

YearAwardCategoryNominated WorkResultRef
2001 Native American Music Awards Best Pow Wow AlbumWon [13]
2002 Grammy Award Best Native American Music Album Rockin' the RezNominated [14]
2004Still Rezin'Nominated [15]
Native American Music AwardsBest Compilation RecordingWon [13]
2007Grammy AwardBest Native American Music AlbumNorthern Cree & Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter NightsNominated [16]
Juno Award Aboriginal Recording of the Year Stay RedNominated [17]
Native American Music AwardsBest Pow Wow AlbumWon [13]
2009Grammy AwardBest Native American Music AlbumRed Rock: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at MuckleshootNominated [18]
2010True BlueNominated [19]
2011Temptations: Cree Round Dance SongsNominated [20]
2017 Best Regional Roots Music Album It's a Cree ThingNominated [21]
Indigenous Music Awards Lifetime Achievement AwardWon [7]
Juno Award Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble Going Home StarWon [8]
2018Grammy AwardBest Regional Roots Music AlbumMiyo Kekisepa, Make a Stand [Live]Nominated [22]
2019Juno Award Indigenous Music Album of the Year Nitisanak - Brothers and SisterNominated [23]
2020Grammy AwardBest Regional Roots Music AlbumWhen It's Cold - Cree Round Dance SongsNominated [24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Title translates to "to go Round Dancing (with)," or, "he/she goes Round Dancing (with)"

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bouchard, David (2006). Nokum Is My Teacher. Calgary: Red Deer Press. ISBN   9780889953673. OCLC   71344719.
  2. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 5 "Northern Cree". Buffalo Jump Records. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  8. 1 2 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.
  9. ↑ "Northern Cree - In Our Drum We Trust (CR-6291)". Canyon Records. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  10. ↑ "43rd Grammy Awards". CNN. February 21, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "Native American Music Awards 2017 Winners". Native American Music Awards. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 Native American Music Awards & Association Inc. (2024). "Winners Directory". Native American Music Awards. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "Complete List Of Grammy Nominees". CBS News. January 4, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  15. ↑ The Associated Press (December 8, 2003). "Grammy Award Winners". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  16. ↑ "49th Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  17. ↑ "Past Nominees + Winners". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  20. ↑ "53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  21. ↑ "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. February 12, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  22. ↑ "60th GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees List". Grammy.com. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "2019 JUNO Award Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  24. ↑ "2019 Grammy Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
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