I want to congratulate Aysanabee, a talented musician from Sandy Lake First Nation and also from Kiiwetinoong, for winning two Juno awards this weekend, songwriter of the year and alternative album of the year, for his album Here and Now. He is the first Indigenous artist to win either award.

Sandy Lake is one of the Anisininew Nations who gathered at the Anisininew Inninuwag Mamawhitowin last month, where, in unity, a declaration was made that we are not Oji-Cree; we are the Anisininew Nation. They called upon all levels of government to respect and recognize us as Anisininew Peoples. We speak our language, Anishininiimowin. We are sovereign and hold rights to self-determination and stewardship over the lands. Our identity and our ways of life are unique.

Everyone should go and listen to Aysanabee’s first album, Watin. It was named after his grandfather, whose voice you can hear throughout the album. In the album’s first track, his grandfather spoke about being sent to an Indian residential school at eight years old, about how lonely he was and how he used to cry. He said, “I was wondering why I was sent here. And I didn’t know why—what did I do wrong?”

Aysanabee, meegwetch for bringing the voice of the Anisininew people to Canada. We are very proud of you.