Northern Cree

Northern Cree
Northern Cree
Origin	Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada
Genres	Powwow
Years active	1982–present
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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
1993	Vol. 5: Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live
1994	Vol. 6: Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live
1996	Vol. 7: Pow Wow Songs, Live at Lummi
1996	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
1998	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
2000	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
2004	Rezonate: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake
2005	Nikamo = "Sing": Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Samson
2005	Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 4: Slide and Sway
2006	Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter Nights: Round Dance "Live!"
2006	Stay Red: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Pullman
2007	Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 6: Calling All Dancers
2007	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
2014	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
2002	Grammy Award	Best Native American Music Album	Rockin' the Rez	Nominated	^[13]
2004			Still Rezin'	Nominated	^[14]
2007			Northern Cree & Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter Nights	Nominated	^[15]
2007	Juno Award	Aboriginal Recording of the Year	Stay Red	Nominated	^[16]
2009	Grammy Award	Best Native American Music Album	Red Rock: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Muckleshoot	Nominated	^[17]
2010			True Blue	Nominated	^[18]
2011			Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs	Nominated	^[19]
2017		Best Regional Roots Music Album	It's a Cree Thing	Nominated	^[20]
2017	Indigenous Music Awards	Lifetime Achievement Award		Won	^[7]
2017	Juno Award	Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble	Going Home Star	Won	^[8]
2018	Grammy Award	Best Regional Roots Music Album	Miyo Kekisepa, Make a Stand [Live]	Nominated	^[21]
2019	Juno Award	Indigenous Music Album of the Year	Nitisanak - Brothers and Sister	Nominated	^[22]
2020	Grammy Award	Best Regional Roots Music Album	When It's Cold - Cree Round Dance Songs	Nominated	^[23]

Notes

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

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Bouchard, David (2006). Nokum Is My Teacher. Calgary: Red Deer Press. ISBN 9780889953673. OCLC 71344719.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bouchard, David (2008). The Drum Calls Softly. Calgary: Red Deer Press. ISBN 9780889954212. OCLC 198523387.
^ Wong, Jessica (6 December 2016). "Beyoncé, Drake, Adele and Justin Bieber to vie for Grammy Awards". CBC. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
^ "Biography". Northern Cree Singers. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
^ "Northern Cree Singers". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c La Rose, Lauren (6 February 2017). "Grammy award nominees Northern Cree will kick off ceremony in L.A." CBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Northern Cree". Buffalo Jump Records. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
^ ^a ^b 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.
^ "Northern Cree - In Our Drum We Trust (CR-6291)". Canyon Records. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
^ "43rd Grammy Awards". CNN. February 21, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
^ 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.
^ "Native American Music Awards 2017 Winners". Native American Music Awards. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
^ "Complete List Of Grammy Nominees". CBS News. January 4, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
^ The Associated Press (December 8, 2003). "Grammy Award Winners". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
^ "49th Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
^ "Past Nominees + Winners". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
^ 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.
^ "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
^ "53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
^ "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. February 12, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
^ "60th GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees List". Grammy.com. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018.
^ "2019 JUNO Award Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
^ "2019 Grammy Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

[9] Title translates to "to go Round Dancing (with)," or, "he/she goes Round Dancing (with)"

[Nokum-1] Bouchard, David (2006). Nokum Is My Teacher. Calgary: Red Deer Press. ISBN 9780889953673. OCLC 71344719.

[Softly-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.

[AllMusic-5] "Northern Cree Singers". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 March 2019.

[LaRose-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.

[Buffalo-7] "Northern Cree". Buffalo Jump Records. Retrieved 14 August 2025.

[LFP-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.

[10] "Northern Cree - In Our Drum We Trust (CR-6291)". Canyon Records. Retrieved 3 July 2025.

[11] "43rd Grammy Awards". CNN. February 21, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2010.

[12] 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.

[13] "Native American Music Awards 2017 Winners". Native American Music Awards. Retrieved 8 July 2025.

[:0-14] "Complete List Of Grammy Nominees". CBS News. January 4, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2010.

[:1-15] The Associated Press (December 8, 2003). "Grammy Award Winners". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2010.

[:2-16] "49th Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2025.

[:3-17] "Past Nominees + Winners". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 14 July 2025.

[:4-18] 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.

[:5-19] "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.

[:6-20] "53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.

[21] "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. February 12, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

[22] "60th GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees List". Grammy.com. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018.

[:7-23] "2019 JUNO Award Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-03-12.

[24] "2019 Grammy Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2022.

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