Moving Towards "Pow Wow-Step"

Abstract

The relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canadians is fraught with political and cultural divides. While Idle No More garnered some momentum to raise awareness of the need for political change, there has yet to be an approach that has popularly engaged and compelled response from Canadians. This thesis project navigates the political potential of artists, who can both accumulate cross-cultural audiences through entertainment and incite change through their vocalizations in performance. Offering a case-study approach to the Indigenous music group, A Tribe Called Red, this project considers their compelling Indigenous space-making work through their performance and celebrity. Drawing from this work, this project offers a navigation between the need for respectful cross-cultural dialogue between Indigenous peoples and Canadians and the actionable change that can occur through popular entertainment and its intimate connections.