Aglukark takes home Juno for her Big Feeling

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It was a great night for Susan Aglukark on April 3. The Inuit singer won best Aboriginal recording of the year at the Juno celebration held in Edmonton April 2 to 4.

Aglukark's album Big Feeling was selected from a stellar group of nominees in the category-Sandy Scofield's Ketwam, Burnt's Burnt Project 1-The Avenue, Eagle & Hawk's Mother Earth and Whitefish Jrs.' In Honour of Percy Dreaver.

"It is very exciting... It's just been a great day all around," said Aglukark, who accepted her award at the non-televised gala the night before the main nationally televised event that celebrates achievement in music. This year's Juno Awards telecast was hosted by singer Alanis Morissette.

In her acceptance speech, the delighted Aglukark thanked the Aboriginal community for its continued support of her work. The singer/songwriter described her Juno-winning record as "the awakening of a passionate woman through different relationships in time."

Backstage, Aglukark had high praise for emerging young Aboriginal artists. She said they are all quickly making a name for themselves in the mainstream music scene and in the last couple of years, they have "gotten bold." The soft-spoken Aglukark, who was born in Churchill, Man., also revealed that she has been writing material for another album since Big Feeling was completed last year. Aglukark's previous albums include 1999's Unsung Heroes and 1995's This Child, from which the single O Siem found its way to the Canadian top 40 charts.

The Juno gala was hosted by Steven Page and Ed Robinson of the Barenaked Ladies. JUNO gala guests took in rousing performances by Doc Walker, Buck 65 and the trio Shaye.

Other winners included Sarah McLachlan's Afterglow for pop album of the year, Shania Twain's Up! for country album of the year, Choclair's Flagrant for rap album of the year, 50 cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' for international album of the year.

In the afternoon on April 3, the Juno's Aboriginal advisory committee, in conjunction with the National Aboriginal Recording Industry Association, paid tribute to the five Juno nominees in the Aboriginal Recording of the Year category and celebrated the 10th year the Junos have been recognizing achievement in this area. The nominees gathered at Telus Centre at the University of Alberta to participate in a mini concert of sorts. Whitefish Jrs. from Big River First Nation, Sask. stood in formation as they performed with hand drums, and it was easy to hear why they are considered among the finest cultural performers in the country.

"It is an honor to be nominated and it is great to be here in Edmonton, said lead singer Harvey Dreaver, who was excitedly anticipating performing with Nelly Furtado during her performance at the JUNO telecast the next night.

Aglukark told Alberta Sweetgrass that the JUNOs are an affirmation that her hard work is well worth the effort.

"It is always a good feeling to be amongst your people and your peers, because music is all about coming together and celebrating, so I just wish everyone all the best," she said just hours before her win.

Elaine Bomberry, the creator, founder and co-chair of the Aboriginal Recording of the Year celebration, said the annual event is the only one of its kind that's she's seen where the camaraderie of nominees in the same category is so apparent.

"We honor them through prayers by our Elders, an honor song and a gift. The other categories do not do this because it is so competitive. Before an event like this you do not normally see nominees getting together, laughing and hanging out together. For example, when the Whitefish Jrs. did that honor song and one of the members from the group Burnt was holding Susan Aglukark's hand as they participated in the round dance, even though they were both competing for the same award later that day, that did not matter," she said when Sweetgrass reached her after the JUNO festivities.

"One of the highlights was havin Susan Aglukark present an award at the telecast edition of the JUNOs, which was just phenomenal because there hasn't been an Aboriginal performer or a presenter at the JUNOs for nine years, said Bomberry. "This is what we are always wanting to see at the JUNOs every year, and to also see the Whitefish Jrs. perform there was just great. We sure are hoping that we are breaking through slowly, but surely, and part of our next challenge and our next step is to split the Aboriginal award category into different categories, because the five musical groups were so different, but yet they were all put into one category. That is our ultimate goal next," she said.