September 30 marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. It's a day that recognizes the troubling legacy of Canada's residential school system-a government-sponsored attempt to destroy the culture and identity of Indigenous people-and honors all of those impacted by it: the Survivors, the families, the communities, and the children who never returned home.
The conversation about reconciliation goes beyond just a single day of the year. That's why we're putting a focus on Indigenous artists from different communities as part of the CAN You Hear Me series, which champions the unique music and perspectives of Canadian artists. To kick things off, we have Winnipeg-based country and folk singer-songwriter Don Amero.
Don is a man who wears a lot of hats. Along with being a musician, he's a published children's author, podcaster, mentor, and tradesman. In 2006 his life took a turn when his debut album, Change Your Life, received immediate praise from fans and garnered five Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award nominations, prompting him to leave his job as a hardwood-flooring installer. Just last month he released a new EP, Six, that includes the singles Ain't Too Late and Go Girl. He also gained a CCMA nomination for his collaboration with fellow Indigenous artist Kyle McKearney on the song Let 'em Lie, which pays tribute to the victims of the Residential School system.
Perhaps his most important work, however, is his advocacy efforts within Indigenous communities and beyond. Don, who is of Cree and M tis heritage, often participates as a youth mentor for the Winnipeg Jets and True North Youth Foundation's Project 11, which helps teach Manitoba youth positive coping skills and encourages them to build a greater sense of self-awareness. An avid public speaker, Don also created the Music Is Medicine workshop, which teaches the healing power of music in mental and physical health. He frequently works with the TOBA Centre, which helps restore the health and well-being of Manitoba children who have been affected by child abuse.
For the Record sat down with Don Amero to discuss his journey of learning his heritage and what reconciliation means to him.
You discovered your Cree and M tis roots a little later in life. Tell us about your reconnection journey. My dad was from Weymouth, Nova Scotia, with European roots, and my mom is of Cree and M tis descent. Being Indigenous was not celebrated in the past as much as it is now. My mom grew up in the '60s and '70s, when governments ran residential schools with the aim of assimilating Indigenous people into the colonized way of living and being. Indigenous language, culture, and traditions were to be wiped out. So my mom was raised to be ashamed of her roots, and as a result, I grew up being told that I was Heinz 57, which is to say, a lot of things but nothing specific.
Many years later as I was entering adulthood, I wanted to understand my roots more. My mom handed me my grandfather's M tis card and said that her grandmother was a full-blooded Cree woman. I felt a strong sense of connection from that conversation and began working to understand more of the story of Indigenous peoples here in Canada. That day I decided that I wanted to be a person on the front lines aiming to build bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
By this time, many Indigenous communities, leaders, and artists, like Buffy Ste. Marie, Tom Jackson, Robbie Robertson, and Errol Ranville, among many others, opened the door for Indigenous artists like me. I stand on the shoulders of giants.
How important is it for you to incorporate your roots into your music and life? While I grew up with loving and kind parents, I was raised without much in the way of traditions or culture. That being said, I've been raising my children to understand and embrace all that they are and to understand their roots are also Indigenous. I want them to grow up being proud of that.
I've also found a deep connection with the seven sacred teachings (Love, Respect, Honesty, Courage, Truth, Wisdom, and Humility), which seems to be commonly embraced as part of the spirituality among many Indigenous communities.
What's a key lesson that has stuck with you on your journey? Simply that every single person has value and is deserving of love, kindness, and to feel they belong.
What does reconciliation mean to you? Reconciliation in this area is for non-Indigenous peoples in Canada to reconcile the past, meaning they need to look back, educate themselves on the truth of our history, and acknowledge how Indigenous people were unsupported and made to believe they were worthless.
I think until every Canadian takes the time to understand the ugly truth of how their government aimed to kill the Indian in the child, we will continue to be challenged with our relationships. Reconciliation between peoples is not done with money, programs, or policies. While those are important pieces to help restore and support Indigenous peoples, I believe to truly reconcile relationships here is for all Canadians to work to bridge the gaps that have been separating us.
The way to a peaceful future between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is through honest and loving relationships. However, that work falls upon non-Indigenous people here. That is the road to Reconciliation in my opinion.
Keep the conversation going by listening to Spotify's artist-curated Indigenous playlist:
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
01/06/2024
Busy this week catching up from the Memorial Day holiday? Our TV Tech weekly wrap-up of all our coverage of new products, services and deployments will get you ...
01/06/2024
Young Sherlock, with Guy Ritchie directing and executive producing, is a go at Prime Video. Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays Sherlock. Prime Video calls it the origin...
01/06/2024
The Los Angeles Sparks-Indiana Fever game on Friday featuring the top two WNBA draft picks, Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink, was the most watched WNBA game on I...
01/06/2024
Lionsgate, which increased its majority stake in 3 Arts Entertainment in January, said it named Brian Weinstein co-CEO of 3 Arts....
01/06/2024
Netflix is launching four video games based on unscripted series this year. They...
01/06/2024
ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates switched from their regular programming to carry live coverage of the verdicts in the porn star hush-money trial of former Pres...
31/05/2024
A U.S. Marine fires an FIM-92 Stinger missile during a training exercise in Yuma...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising h...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
Global SVOD revenues will increase by $116.6 billion by 2031, a growth rate of 13.3% per year over the next eight years, according to a new report from MIDiA Re...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The FCC Media Bureau has announced that effective August 1, 2024 the Commission's TVStudy software will incorporate the most recent U.S. Ce...
31/05/2024
NBCUniversal has announced that its FAST channel TNBC will be rebranding to NBC Comedy Vault on June 1 and that the free streaming service will officially launc...
31/05/2024
PARIS Ateme has announced that the Indonesian public broadcaster TVRI is making the transition to 4K UHD OTT streaming using Ateme technologies....
31/05/2024
The proposal had received support from James Cameron, Andy Serkis, Paul Greengrass, Richard Curtis, and Jeremy Irons
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 31, 2...
31/05/2024
According to multiple reports, the new bid from Skydance offers a better deal to Paramounts Class B shareholders, who were said to be unhappy with the companys ...
31/05/2024
The awards recognise women and companies who are stand-out performers, innovators and leaders in the broadcast media technology industry
By Matthew Corrigan
...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising has expanded the reach of its measurement software development kit to include Sam...
31/05/2024
The rise of digital platforms is fundamentally changing the broadcast newsroom and its investment in technology according to Jon Roberts, director of technology...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Fifty state broadcasters associations, including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, have sent a letter to Congressio...
31/05/2024
EVS has announced the appointment of Richard Katz as senior vice president of operations for the North and Latin American (NALA) region. This appointment is par...
31/05/2024
CommScope has announced that it was selected by Casa Systems, Inc. as the highest to acquire Casa's cable business assets and that the two companies have en...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro won't be receiving the Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Leadership Foundation after all....
31/05/2024
Viant Technology said it formed an integration with Google Cloud's BigQuery data clean rooms...
31/05/2024
The CW said it will broadcast the 2024 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop Last year, The CW aired the game when it was called Bar...
31/05/2024
Allen Media Group said it made a deal with Amazon's Fire TV Channel that will make content from several of Allen's outlet available via Fire TV and Echo...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro, announced as the winner of the NAB's Leadership Foundation's Service to America Leadership Award on May 28, will not get the award. The ...
31/05/2024
Comcast Technology Solutions was selected by AccuWeather to create, manage and distribute linear and over-the-top video channels....
31/05/2024
Connected TV is becoming a bigger deal for consumers and advertisers, according to a new report from TVision....
31/05/2024
By Craig Anderton
Let's get right to what this sounds like. It's not quite feedback or tape reverse, it's well, listen to what it does in this blue...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON discloses April YTD trading update at its AGM Amsterdam, 31 May 2024 07:00 CEST -
VEON April YTD 2024 Highlights
Total revenue of USD 1,278 ...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON Announces Its New Board, Names Founder Augie Fabela as Chairman Amsterdam, 31 May 2024, 16.00 CET: VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam...
31/05/2024
May 31st, 2024
TRIBECA FESTIVAL AND OPEN AI ANNOUNCE SORA SHORTS'
Five Commissioned Short Films Created Using Sora Debut at 2024 Tribeca Festival
New ...
31/05/2024
In-Venue Technology Wrap-Up: How 4K, IP, and More are Changing the Game Pres Gam...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: The host broadcast facts and figures for Real ...
31/05/2024
UEFA Europa Conference League Final 2024: Bringing the broadcast to global TV sc...
31/05/2024
Willow Offers Free 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup Preview via DirecTV, Verizon, ...
31/05/2024
Women's College World Series: ESPN Brings Live Drone, Two-Point Cabled, and ...
31/05/2024
SVG College Summit Brings Video-Production Industry Together in Atlanta in the M...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: CBS Sports' UCL Today Studio Show Is Pitch...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
Master of the House' Unveils a Scandalous Tale of Power and Greed on July 18
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalThailand
Link copied to ...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
JEEtu Bhaiya is Back: Kota Factory' Season 3 Arrives on Netflix June 20
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalIndia
Link copied to clipboar...
31/05/2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
With around 9,000 employees, Ground Transportation Systems is a global leader in Rail Signaling and Train Control Systems, Telec...
31/05/2024
RT 2FM is the home of music this summer, entertaining listeners across the day and night, with the best music, chat and interviews providing the soundtrack to ...
31/05/2024
After the 2008 financial crisis and increased risk-management regulations that f...
31/05/2024
RT Supporting the Arts: What's On this June
Watch our promo: RT Supporting the Arts | What's on YouTube
This June, RT is delighted to support Lim...
30/05/2024
When to Upgrade Software or Firmware This post is from our blog and news archive. The information may be out of date. Please contact us for further information ...
September 30 marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. It's a day that recognizes the troubling legacy of Canada's residential school system-a government-sponsored attempt to destroy the culture and identity of Indigenous people-and honors all of those impacted by it: the Survivors, the families, the communities, and the children who never returned home.
