We're excited to finally release our digital project, Undowanpi (We Sing)! Throughout this series of four videos you'll get an understanding of what traditional song and drum means to four different Native artists.
Undowanpi (We Sing): Hoksida Blacklance
We're excited to finally release our digital project, Undowanpi (We Sing)! Throughout this series of four videos you'll get an understanding of what traditional song and drum means to four different Native artists.
First we hear from Hoksida Blacklance from Pezihutazizi Oyate (Upper Sioux Community) in Granite Falls. Hoksida is a lead singer of Midnite Express.
#UpperSioux #MidniteExpress
Undowanpi (We Sing): Opie Day
As a part of the series Undowanpi (We Sing), this next video features Opie Day, lead singer of Midnite Express, from Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.
#Undowanpi #OpieDay
Undowanpi (We Sing): Desirae Desnomie
Backing up Opie Day is his wife Desirae Desnomie, backup singer for Midnite Express, from Peepeekisis Cree Nation in southern Saskatchewan. Gain an understanding of what singing means to Desirae in this installment of the Undowanpi series.
Undowanpi (We Sing): Gabriel Desrosiers
The next part of the Undowanpi series features Gabriel Desrosiers, lead singer of Northern Wind, from Northwest Angle 33 First Nation. Learn how song has changed Gabriel's life and the importance it plays in his role as a teacher at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
Meet the producer/editor
Hau Mitakuyapi! I’m Tanner Peterson from the Upper Sioux Community. My goal with these videos was to show an inside view of what singing means to these artists. I also wanted to help people who are unfamiliar get a better understanding of the importance it has for the singer, community and culture.
About the project
- Produce a series, containing up to six, seven-minute episodes relating to the following project goals:
- Uplifting contemporary Native American values of family, connection to the land and respect for culture and tradition.
- Portraying how contemporary Native American culture and contributions are vital parts of modern life.
- Demonstrating Native American people’s involvement in every aspect of modern life to assist the larger society in moving past systematic erasure and stereotypes.