b'MUSICOver the years, Canadas Indigenous music scene has been composed of talented women representing a spectrum of styles, genres and perspectives. Modern trailblazers like Buffy Sainte-Marie, Susan Aglukark, Tanya Taqaq are helping to open the national stage to a new generation of equally talented singers, songwriters and performersAfter graduating from Metalworks in 2019, Kae went to work for ELMNT FM, an Indigenous radio station out of Toronto. There, she gained the experience to land herjgferris1959@gmail.comcurrent position as a reporter with CBC in Thunder Bay. Last June, she added another significant milestone in her journey with the release of her first single, Rise. Written in 2020 on National Indigenous Peoples Day, the song was born of Kaes experience navigating a non-Indigenous world as an Indigenous talent with deep cultural roots. [Rise] sat in a vault for two years before I thought about putting it out into the world, Kae says. It was intimidating because I always want to come off as my most authentic self. I had this song about resilience and power, but I wasnt sure I hadEd-Digenous Traditions creates Indigenous Learning Kits for those things yet. I had to ask myself, Wasschools, communities, workshops, conferences and I fully healed from my trauma growingpost-secondary institutions. The kits actively demonstrate and up? Was I in a place where I could expresssupport the educational concepts being introduced.myself as an Ojibwe and Cree person?It was nerve-racking, Kae continues, But the minute I put it out there and heard from people that that song helped them, I realized I was holding off because of my own nerv- What is the meaning of ousness not because of others. Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin?Today, Kae splits her time between work at CBC and freelancing in social mediaMamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin is the marketing, all while building a music careerTikinagan service model. In Ojibway/Oji-that has been uplifted by her recent single.Cree, Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin means,Its a busy life, she admits, but one sheEveryone working strives to live with authenticity and with atogether to raise our focus on continuing the work she began withher father. children.It is a system of protecting and caring for I want to lead by example, for my siblingschildren and supporting families that has and for the younger generation, Kae says.been designed and is delivered by First I want my music to be inspiring and forNations people in our 30 communities.Indigenous people who hear it to go after their own goals and dreams, whether thats music or something else entirely. I want them to know we can all succeed and stand strong and proud as Indigenous people.TIKINAGAN.ORGOntario Native Womens Association71'