|
Oki,
June 2009
I am thankful to have you here, visiting
iraprovost.ca! Thank you to Mr. Brad Lang at LA Records and Media
Distribution for helping me develop and upload this site. Much work
goes into keeping, and maintaining a website. We hope you enjoy.
I am honored to speak to you all about this
project that has been unfolding throughout this past year! We
released Blackfoot Sky: A collection of Songs by Ira
Provost, just over a year ago and we have seen it do
amazing things, some of them I’ll share with you as you read this.
There is nothing more important than
developing a strong connection to one another. When we develop that
connection, people bond, people grow, and therefore communities
grow. Canada’s First Nations people have been at a disadvantage for
generations and the reasons are incredibly complex! Far too many
times I, as well as many First Nations people, have seen this
unawareness affect the communities we live in.
I’ve been a musician all my life and
figured that it really was time to use this talent to try to weave
the patterns together that illustrates cultural understanding and
dispel the complexity of this understanding. Yes we are all one
human race, but we are still all unique. This is the message of
Blackfoot Sky, I am Piikani Blackfoot and I am proud.
Blackfoot Sky is Released
Blackfoot Sky was released approximately
one year ago in June of 2008. A few short days after we were
complete all components of the CD and it became available for sale
the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper delivered the government
of Canada’s Apology to the survivors of the Residential School
system.
“Mr. Speaker, I stand
before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian
residential schools. The treatment of children in Indian residential
schools is a sad chapter in our history…Indeed, some sought, as it
was infamously said, "to kill the Indian in the child." Today, we
recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused
great harm, and has no place in our country…We are sorry…”-Prime
Minister Stephen Harper, June 11, 2008
Indeed, this day was a step in the right
direction and meant a wide variety of things to many different
people. Although this was a major step, it was the first step of
many that need to be taken to repair the intergenerational damage
that took place for Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.
I need to comment on this historic event as
Brad and I were in the studio packaging up discs and promo packs at
the time it came on television. It was very surreal as, many of you
now know, the songs on Blackfoot Sky share the exact same message
and as if taken directly from the Apology speech! You can hear the
same messages in Rewriting Duncan in
particular. It was extremely affirming as a songwriter to know that
I was on track in my messages.
Although we, now as First Nations people
are writing and rewriting our own history, it
makes the uphill struggle a little less steep when milestones such
as this are achieved.
ATA Magazine Features Blackfoot Sky!
Thank you so much to Tim Johnston, editor
of the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) Magazine for the feature
in the most recent edition (Summer 2009). This issue features an
entire page listing “Watch Over Me” Lyrics and
CD Bio. I truly feel like I’ve won the lottery with this feature, as
though I made the “Rolling Stone” magazine of the Alberta teaching
world!! Thanks Tim and best wishes in your well-deserved retirement.
The ATA Magazine
is published four times a year (fall, winter, spring and summer) by
The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA). With a circulation of
42,100, The ATA Magazine has the largest circulation of
any journal in the province of Alberta. It is sent to all Alberta
teachers and school administrators in public and separate schools,
school jurisdictions executives, students in the faculties of
education, politicians and others.
Lethbridge School District No. 51 Support
I want to thank Lethbridge School District
No. 51 Board of Trustees and Executive Council for their support and
acknowledgement of my accomplishments with Blackfoot Sky! Their
support means very much to me. I am honored to have served the
staff, parents and students for the last 8 years.
South Country Fair 1st
Annual Song writing Competition
I was very honored to have Watch Over Me
selected as one of the finalist. I truly thank the committee, judges
and South Country Fair for the opportunity to be part of a great
competition.
The Tour
I had the honor and privilege to perform
songs from Blackfoot Sky at the various events in Alberta;
Sik-ooh-kotoki Friendship Society (Lethbridge
Friendship Centre): In January
2009, the Sik-ooh-kotoki Friendship Society held a Gala event to
celebrate their 40th Anniversary. This event featured keynote
politician and First Nation historical figure Elijah Harper and
musical headliner CCMA recording artist Shane Yellow Bird.
Lethbridge College: We performed for the
college twice this year at their events “Celebrating Education
through Art” and the “First Nations Transition Program
Graduation”. Both events honored the First Nations community for
their accomplishments at the College.
University of Lethbridge: The Faculty of
Health Science hosted the Aboriginal Science Symposium at the
University of Lethbridge. Excellent speakers and presenters
gathered to speak about the importance of Aboriginal perspective
in Science.
Alberta Education: We were very fortunate
to be asked to perform at the Learning Together for Success
Education Conference in Calgary, Alberta. This is an annual
conference directed at educators of First Nations, Metis, and
Inuit programs and best practices in education systems
throughout Alberta.
Alberta Teachers Association: I was
fortunate to provide a presentation and workshop for the Alberta
Teachers FNMI conference entitled Soaring with Knowledge. At
this conference I provided a workshop entitled “Contemporary
First Nation Music in the Classroom.”
The City of Lethbridge: The band and I rocked City Hall! We were
able to be part of the Changing Faces Coffee House celebration.
The event was hosted by the Coalition of Municipalities Against
Racism and Discrimination celebrating the United Nations
International Day to Eliminate Racial Discrimination. An honor.
The Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge: In
both 2008 and 2009 I was honored to perform for the National
Aboriginal Day ceremonies and celebration hosted by the
Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge(ACL). This recent year ACL
hosted the First Annual Lethbridge Urban Aboriginal Awards, it
was an amazing and inspiring evening where ACL honored our
Aboriginal leaders of our community.
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump – A UNESCO
World Heritage Site – The most recent event that took place was
performing for at the Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump Interpretive
centre for their 2009 National Aboriginal Day Celebrations. I
could not think of a better place to celebrate the day. Head
Smashed In is such an historic location filled at every seam
with my culture and heritage. More importantly, it is a place
where we share our culture. I spent many years working at
the center and took part in that sharing.
I am currently taking bookings for future
performances and I sincerely hope you can catch a show in the near
future. Keep posted to Up-coming Events for future dates.
The Band
Thank you to those musicians who helped me
deliver memorable performances:
Michelle Treleaven,
Audra Foggin, Cam Degroot, Marcel Purveen, Lindsay Wolff, Stan
Ashbee, Carol Arbour, and Rudy Heavy Runner. These are premiere
musicians well beyond their time and are truly the best of Southern
Alberta.
Using Blackfoot Sky songs/songwriting in the
Community
I am extremely pleased that classrooms,
centers, organizations and projects have used the songs and
songwriting to communicate cultural ideologies and themes in their
work. The Royal Alberta Museum of Alberta selected “My
History” to use in their video of Blackfoot history and
culture. The Missoula Indian Center used the song “Watch
Over Me” as the music for one of their learning videos.
If I as a songwriter and artist can help
communicate a strong positive message about and for First Nations
people, I am extremely honored to help. Please use the songs for
your projects and teachings, I simply ask in return you purchase a
copy and cite proper credit.
I wish you the best for your communities
and programs,
Katamutsiin (we’ll see you again),
Ira |
