C2C2C - Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories, is the thirteenth of 14 episodes in the series Coast2Coast2Coast presenting the new recorded music of emerging and established Canadian artists across genres from each province and territory. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Welcome to Coast to Coast to Coast on Acoustic Avenue. I'm Ted Crouch, your host in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, with co-producer Joe Little in Calgary, Alberta. On Acoustic Avenue, we recognize with respect and gratitude that these lands where we live, work, and make our music remain home to a number of indigenous nations and people. We acknowledge this land out of respect for the indigenous nations who have cared for Total Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Today, we visit the Northwest Territories, providing some of the best, if not the best, Aurora Borealis viewing in the world. Opening this show is Carmen Braden, a genre jumping musician, a dynamic force in the new world of music, acoustic ambassador of the Canadian subarctic, award-winning contemporary composer, and singer-songwriter hailing proudly from Yellowknife. We play The Dance from her 2024 album A Hard Light. Through a mobile music and production studio, original songs were created that centered on themes of cultural identity, language, struggle, love, and self-acceptance. To date, more than 900 First Nations youth have participated across 70 communities, resulting in 140 songs and videos that have been viewed more than 20 million times online. On today's program, we will share four of those, so let's begin. Next up, you will hear Inu Via Luit from Tuktoyaktuk singing Don't Give Up. This is a powerful song inspired from exploring the pride and joy in their way of life while navigating the pressures that come from threats of community relocation. We close this opening set with Everlasting, a song created by a group of youth from Fort McPherson and Sigatchick. This was written and recorded by Brendan, Brody, Caden, Aubrey, Darnell, Taylor, Harmony, Eliah, Ariana, Adriana, and Diesel. And the fiddle was played by Ethan. Here is Carmen Braden and the voices of the youth from Tuck Toyuktuk, Fort McPherson, and Sega Chick.

SPEAKER_14 3:32

How many times you look away? How many times you look away? It'll still be there It'll still be there Only in all In all the corners of your mind In all the corners of your mind In all the corners of your mind till you catch their eye till you catch their eye Push and Paul Push and Paul and make me sweat Push and Paul and make me sweat Leaving grooves in the cement Make me forget Make me forget We can forget We can't forget so that's all I'm so I think so that's all I think so I still pass How many times you look away How many times you look away How many times you look away Still be there Reach out your hands Take your troubles for a dance Reach out your hands Take your troubles for a dance Reach out your hands Take your troubles for a dance I don't want to young uh I think about it every day I feel like we don't have a say We're not the cross but we feel it all You must be blind but we see it all All these erosions I'm exploding with emotion I feel broken I hope we can keep the culture going Push past our limits and keep the culture growing I love hunting caribou let me show you how we do cut the ribs and make a stew Take it home on the skidoo I wanna get my message straight No I'm not feeling great I see the waves when the season change My people's pain we gotta stay No no no we don't wanna relocate This is my home my home No no no there's no better place We live here and we'll never go No Bad memories that float like a boat with the children from my past and my family It's haunting me gotta go and my soul let go but they still They thought we were fools They sent us to school on a boat with our rules I feel hurt and I must be strong for the light as a freak of dog flashbacks and panic attacks I don't belong I'm trapped But listening to music keeping calm that's a fact I hate to raise myself a lesson safe now I use the art as an escape Most of us have a depression we are so worn expression from sundown to sunrise that's when the long lonely nights arrive I see my sister's life twice I was scared I was hopeless but now I got a voice I could fight for the kids I don't wanna live forgiveness and love is all that I give Life is hard you've been through enough keep moving on and don't give up No no no we don't wanna relocate This is my home my home No no no there's no better place we live here and we'll never go No no no we don't wanna relocate This is my home I hope No no no there's no better place we live here and we'll never go I don't want a dumma I lay a young hey yeah yeah yung I don't want to I lay low I No no no we don't wanna relocate This is my home I hope No no no there's no better place we live here and we'll never go no no no we don't wanna relocate This is my home I hope No no no there's no better place we live here and we'll never go I feel like I would in the place people don't go out enough and I think they should I take my dirt bike out when I'm hurtin' down one nice I change it all over riding on my skiddo full throttle jumping down chill bit I make it rattle summer take licks when I skid to biking in the spring that's what we do going out on the land chopping wood with my hands setting traps with my friends do it all I know I can I am proud of where I come from singing loud we're so strong oh keep dancing oh everlasting walking helps me clear my mind I do it all the time so when I'm feeling no I leave it all behind when anger and confusion fill me I hit the streets walking is my remedy minus forty walking is cool she's not dressed in warm tryna be cool watch it all for you walking a fool risk taking is what I call fun adrenaline rush landing in the dark in the sun slain through snow down the hill I really wanna go and feel the fun that is real hunting geese with my friends having fun we don't pretend skipping water in the spring see them wings churching I am proud of where come from staining loud we're still strong oh keep dancing oh everlasting I am proud of where come from staining loud we're still strong oh keep dancing oh everlasting proud of work I'm dancing in loud we're still strong oh keep dancing oh everlasting I am proud of work I'm dancing in loud we're so strong oh keep dancing oh everlasting this is coast to coast to coast on Acoustic Avenue Music is an important part of the Northwest territory's culture and the music industry contributes to the territory's economic development we open this with another selection from the Neusionon project this initiative provides the tools and support for students to express themselves creatively through a wide range of artistic media while working with professional artists amplify the voices and stories of indigenous youth creative youth world in the northern results recording we played hundreds from their twenty twenty three album solstice harmony this is the youth from Moose Kerr school in a clavic Andrea Batker and Hilk Silk remember what I'll just say everything will be okay never alone I can feel it in my bones the culture will bring us home in the middle of an epidemic our people are lost straight out the pandemic our livelihoods are gone these evictions are failing the world eviction I'm feeling like you should listen I'm here to help you we're not looking for I'm sorry everybody has a story addiction can be lonely I know this is the start not the end I know it's hard to pretend you're recovering slowly I know we're here to help you get back to your truth you're still alive never say die Oh remember what I always say oh everything will be okay all you're never alone I can feel it in my bones the culture will bring us home wasting no mind wasting time killing brands all the time put the pipe down I don't like this in my town living in this town that's filled with good people isolated lost but I keep the good feelings We used to walk in the night then you stopped in the light but it's not too late you can still fight I'm struggling trying to chase my dreams no motivation look at these other teens I feel helpless where is my mind at starting to think that these drugs made an impact Oh remember when I'll just stay all everything must be okay all remember alone I can steal it in my bones bring it on this day all everything must be okay alone I can steal it in my bones remember when I'll be saying all everything will be okay in my bones the culture will be all everything will be okay I can feel it in my bones the culture will bring us home remember what I have to say oh everything will be okay oh you're never alone I can feel it in my bones the culture will bring us home

SPEAKER_00 26:57

Welcome back to the second half of today's program, Coast to Coast to Coast on Acoustic Avenue. As part of each program in this series, we will share land acknowledgments from the regions we visit as we open our hearts and minds to the past. On behalf of the music industry, we will naturally acknowledge that we are situated on the traditional territory territory. Join in celebrate and embrace the spirit of the North with Eagle Wolf and Norwalk.

SPEAKER_14 33:50

Come down to what you away, I'll put it on the day.

SPEAKER_00 40:44

Each month we have been visiting a province or territory and introducing the new recorded music of emerging and established artists from their home.

SPEAKER_15 43:21

The colors are up and night. The lights are my night. Something's not feeling right.

SPEAKER_19 43:29

Sometimes I feel lonely. People don't call my phone. Memories make me feel so alone. But my friends support me, take off my back when I don't feel loved, taking me back on track.

SPEAKER_18 43:40

I ran too grizzly, hunting for community. On the land we find unity. That's what I give, that's where I live. My tradition keeps me going while I keep the fire glowing.

SPEAKER_11 43:51

Listen, I'm on a mission. A sense of community is what I'm missing. Our traditional spirit, we will all. Always feel it. Listen, I'm on a mission. A sense of community is what I'm missing.

SPEAKER_14 44:07

Our traditional spirit, we will always feel it.

SPEAKER_26 44:22

We don't need drugs to feel happy. We got the land and the family. Even when they go, you never alone.

SPEAKER_11 44:29

They're a party so I'm on a mission, a sense of community is what I'm missing. I transitional feel it. We will always feel it.

SPEAKER_14 45:11

I'm on a mission, a sense of community, it's what I'm missing. I try to not feel it. We will always feel it. I'm on a Christian, a sense of community, it's what I'm looking for I trust this not feeling, we will always feel it.

SPEAKER_10 46:19

I need you We always empty inuit wings, just like the life of yesterday. We always aren't all embarrassed to deal. The lie you goes and all mistake, I'm in a way, I'm in a way, in you, you by In the land we live, we got a beautiful sea. Midnight sunshine for you and me. That's so fine, the land is always that's the way we should be. I'm in a way I'm in the way, in oui, to batha, in oui, duba, oui, I didn't we do that.

SPEAKER_14 48:54

I've been out of touch, sideline thinking that I think way too much. Hands on handles, breathing deep enough, way through windows, walled in door locked shut. Thought I could have caught the right train to have gone off the rails again. Ask me sick inspiral in. I could use inspiring So could the sun set me a glow, already to end a go. Will I chase myself? Have I found a way? Found a way through myself, have I lost myself? Puzzle playwright, stumble in the bed. I don't know why, why don't I begin to salvage my pride? Do I burn down everything? Hell I found a way, found a way through, most I found a way, found a way, most have I found a way, found a way through have I found a way to do it.

SPEAKER_00 55:28

To take us home, you're listening to Out Loudish by Al B from his 2024 album, Board Game Record. The next show continues our journey across Turtle Island to our final destination along the Acoustic Avenue, Nunavut. One of the largest unspoiled natural paradises on the planet, the ancestral homeland of Inuit people, and home to the Arctic Big Five, including polar bears, muscox, beluga's, walruses, and narwhals. There is no best time to visit Nunavut as every season and community offers a unique experience. Until next time, this is Ted Crouch signing off, and on behalf of Joe Little, from our hearts to yours, stay safe and love the ones you're with. Peace.