A Tribe Called Red shortlisted for Polaris Prize

Short-listed this year for one of the most esteemed awards of music in Canada, the $30,000 Polaris Prize, A Tribe Called Red is now embarking on an ambitious collaboration with other Indigenous artists across the continent.

The Polaris nomination is the band’s second nod for a prize known for selecting the most innovative albums based solely on merit, not sales, popularity or genre. Their first album was long-listed. This year’s Nation II Nation joined the short-list, alongside the respected Tegan and Sara and the winner Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The prize was announced Sept. 24. Godspeed You! used its acceptance speech to talk about climate change and corporate abuses.

In an interview with Windspeaker, one of the members of the acclaimed Tribe Called Red crew shared his excitement in being nominated again.

“We were all pretty blown away, definitely!” said Bear Witness, a member of the three-DJ group. “It was one of those things, after having our first album on the long list, making our second album was really nerve-wracking! I mean, how do you follow that up?

“It’s a great way to have what we’re doing recognized. When you’re sampling powwow beats, there’s a lot of doubters who’d say, ‘It’s just a gimmick,’ or ‘People are only going to jump on this for the moment.’ It’s not a gimmick or passing fad.”

Bear Witness, whose real name is Bear Thomas, is of Cayuga ancestry, and with Anishinabe musician Ian Campeau (a.k.a. Deejay NDN) formed the original ensemble, mixing powwow beats and electronic dance music sounds for monthly parties at an Ottawa bar.

Soon, DJ Shub (Dan General) – himself a recognized champion of the craft – joined the team and helped evolve ATCR from simpler mash-ups (different sounds mixed together) into a distinctive, composed sound.

Their first self-titled album was released for free on their Web site to acclaim and a Polaris long-list nomination. During the height of the Idle No More movement last year, they released an EP, “Trap Line,” a playful riff mixing the electronic genre Trap with Aboriginal hunting tradition.

Asked if another album is in the works to follow the success of Nation II Nation, Thomas reveals their current work is much more ambitious than just another LP. It includes a collaboration with Alberta celebrated Team Rezofficial rapper Hell’n’Back, among a number of other artists.

“We’re working on a much larger project than we have in the past,” he revealed. “It’s more collaborative-based.

“We’re working with artists across Canada and the U.S., not exclusively but mostly Aboriginal. They’re all people we respect ... It’s still A Tribe Called Red’s sound, but working with other people changes what you do. For every artist, you do things that complement their sound. It’s a good way for us to stretch our legs, outside of straight (Electronic Dance Music).”

Speaking out against racism and cultural appropriation has been a staple of the band’s life outside of music, which itself has sampled clips against police brutality and racial profiling and for Indigenous sovereignty.

Last year, Campeau launched a year-long fight to change the name of a local football team, the Nepean Redskins, similar to campaigns in the U.S. over the Washington team of the same name. After initial intransigence from the Nepean owner, the team announced in September it was conceding the battle and would find a new, less offensive name.

This summer, members of ATCR also spoke out against a common practice at music events: the “hipster headdress,” in which white music fans attend concerts wearing large feather ceremonial attire. Practices like that and even the return of “red face” paint in some crowds amount to an appropriation and disrespect to Indigenous cultures, activists argue; ATCR requested their fans stand up to halt the practices.

“Non-Natives that come to our shows, we need to talk,” the band tweeted. “Please stop wearing headdresses and war paint – it’s insulting.”

The racist practices are surprisingly prevalent Thomas said, “especially in the festival music scene in general. It wasn’t specific people showing up to A Tribe Called Red show wearing headdresses – but it’s happening all over. We had a chance to speak out.

“In B.C. one festival took it upon itself to ban headdresses. Anybody who showed up in one would have them confiscated. The reasoning was that the festival is supposed to be a comfortable and safe environment for anybody. Wearing headdresses makes it uncomfortable.”

While Campeau has been at the forefront of the Redskins campaign, Thomas said his activism is centred on his practices as an artist, not only through the subversive sounds of ATCR, but also as a video artist.

Windspeaker asked him what’s next for the band, as it awaits word on the Polaris Prize, considering the huge distance they’ve covered in only a few short years. He admits he hates questions like that. But surely he has some thoughts on A Tribe Called Red’s whirlwind rise to fame (or infamy, if you’re the Nepean Redskins or a headdress hipster).

“It’s completely blown any expectations I had about what this project would have accomplished; way out of the water!” he laughed. “It’s hard to imagine what’s next.

“More work, more touring, pushing ourselves further in our craft. That’s what we’re working on next, I guess.”

Photo caption: A Tribe Called Red members (from left) DJ Shub, Bear Witness, and Deejay NDN listen to new tracks in Shub’s home south of Ottawa.