Northern Cree

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Northern Cree
OriginMaskwacis, Alberta, Canada
GenresPowwow
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]

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.

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

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref
2001 Native American Music Awards Best Pow Wow Album Won [13]
2002 Grammy Awards Best Native American Music Album Rockin' the Rez Nominated [14]
2004 Still Rezin' Nominated [15]
Native American Music Awards Best Compilation Recording Won [13]
2006 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards Best Contemporary Pow-Wow Album Nikamo – "Sing!" Won [16]
Best Hand Drum Album Northern Cree & Friends, Vol. 4 – Slide & Sway Won
2007 Grammy Awards Best Native American Music Album Northern Cree & Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter Nights Nominated [17]
Juno Awards Aboriginal Recording of the Year Stay Red Nominated [18]
Native American Music Awards Best Pow Wow Album Won [13]
2009 Grammy Awards Best Native American Music Album Red Rock: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Muckleshoot Nominated [19]
2010 True Blue Nominated [20]
2011 Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs Nominated [21]
2017 Best Regional Roots Music Album It's a Cree Thing Nominated [22]
Indigenous Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award Won [7]
Juno Awards Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble Going Home Star Won [8]
Native American Music Awards Best Music Video Won [13]
Best Pow Wow Recording Won
2018 Grammy Awards Best Regional Roots Music Album Miyo Kekisepa, Make a Stand [Live] Nominated [23]
2019 Juno Awards Indigenous Music Album of the Year Nitisanak - Brothers and Sister Nominated [24]
2020 Grammy Awards Best Regional Roots Music Album When It's Cold - Cree Round Dance Songs Nominated [25]
2026 Polaris Music Prize SOCAN Polaris Song Prize "Put Your Feathers On"
with Blue Moon Marquee		 Longlisted [26]

Notes

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

References

  1. Bouchard, David (2006). Nokum Is My Teacher. Calgary: Red Deer Press. ISBN 9780889953673. OCLC 71344719.
  2. 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. 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. "Northern Cree". Buffalo Jump Records. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  8. 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. 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. "Northern Cree Receives Two Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards". World Music Central. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  17. "49th Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  18. "Past Nominees + Winners". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  19. 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.
  20. "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  21. "53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  22. "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. February 12, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  23. "60th GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees List". Grammy.com. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018.
  24. "2019 JUNO Award Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  25. "2019 Grammy Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  26. Natalie Harmsen, "2026 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize long list: Begonia, Cadence Weapon, Charlotte Day Wilson and more". CBC Music, June 24, 2026.