Left to right: Musician Chris McKhool and Dr. Duke Redbird Credit: Photo provided by Chris McKhool
Today on Small Change listeners will be meeting two inspiring changemakers – Dr. Duke Redbird and musicain Chris McKhool.
Dr. Duke Redbird is an elder, poet, activist, educator, broadcaster and artist who holds a masters degree from York University, as well as honorary doctorates from OCAD University, in recognition of his work developing its first Indigenous Program of Fine Arts, and York University.
Dr. Redbird is visiting professor at St Michael's College, University of Toronto and Indigenous Elder for the Acceleration Consortium and the Transformational Research Unit (TRU) at the University of Toronto. Dr. Redbird is also an adjunct professor at York University
Dr. Redbird’s poetry collections include POETRY 2022 as well as Love Shine and Red Wine. His poems are featured on recent recordings by the Sultans of String.
Dr. Redbird occupies the position of Elder with art and cultural organizations that include the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Luminato, Summerworks, Nuit Blanc, Connected North and is artist in residence at The Urban Indigenous Education Centre of the Toronto District School Board. He has delivered keynote addresses to hundreds of businesses and organization across North America.
Chris McKhool is a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal recipient for his work creating community through music.
Chris produces, composes and plays violin with Billboard charting Sultans of String, whose CDs hit #1 across Canada in the Top Ten International/World Canadian community radio charts, and earned three JUNO Award Nominations for Instrumental and World Album of the Year.
With Sultans of String, McKhool also won the SiriusXM World Music Award, Festivals & Events Ontario’s Best Variety Act, two Ontario Independent Music Awards, and six Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Chris has recorded and performed with several jazz, world, folk and pop artists including Béla Fleck, Jesse Cook, the Chieftains, Pavlo, Amanda Martinez, Richard Bona, Ruben Blades, Crystal Shawanda, and Nikki Yanofsky.
As producer, Chris received Producer of the Year for the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards, and Producer of the Year for the 2020 Independent Music Awards.
Chris won the inaugural PIVOT AWARD from CIMA for creating the Sultans Zoom Room series, the 2022 Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Cannes World Film Festival Award, producing the documentary The Refuge Project – that’s coming to Burlington Performing Arts Centre May 6 for two student performances – and Walking Through The Fire which has a long list of dates for both screenings and live shows in Ottawa, Collingwood, Waterloo and Toronto.
Duke originally collaborated with Chris and Sultans of String on the Refuge Project which included Duke’s spoken word contribution, The Power of the Land, with Twin Flames’ Jaaji (yaah-jee) and Chelsey June singing the uplifting chorus. The song is a beautiful homage to Mother Earth. The project includes a documentary and CD, as well as live concerts.
Then, Duke collaborated on the Walking Through The Fire project with Sultans of String. Walking Through The Fire is a brilliant live performance with First Nations, Metis and Inuit artists collaborating with Sultans of String. It was also made into a compelling documentary as well as a CD.
Duke, Chris and I discuss where did the idea for Walking Through The Fire came from as well as the significance of the title and which Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action this project fulfills.
The liner of the CD includes this impactful quote from Duke, “The place that we have to start is with the truth. Reconciliation will come sometime way in the future, perhaps, but right now, truth is where we need to begin the journey with each other.
Duke explains the truth that he refers to as well as when settlers will be ready to begin the journey of reconciliation.
Performer Raven Kanatakta who wrote Take Off The Crown featuring Sultans of String Credit: Sultans of String
Walking Through The Fire evokes a full range of emotions. So, the three of us discuss one of the, perhaps, more challenging songs written by Raven Kanatakta called, Take Off The Crown.
Raven is on the frontline fighting for equity and representation in the arts while working to empower arts communities around the world. Take Off The Crown lays bare the truth that settlers are having a difficult time coming to terms with the deaths of 10,000 Indigenous children — the majority of these deaths took place in residential schools. This is one time when the message is so important that the discomfort it may cause is an absolute necessity.
I also want to understand Indigeneity better and help others to understand this term as well. Recently, I’ve had white men in their late 20s/early 30s tell me that because their parents were born in say, Britain, and then emigrated to Canada, that makes their parents settlers. These young men claim that their generation is 'indigenous' to Canada because they were born here. Duke explains why being born in Canada makes you native to Canada, but not a ‘Native Canadian.’
It’s important to stress the immense pride, laughter and happiness that figures prominently in many of the songs featured in Walking Through The Fire.
Performer Crystal Shawanda who wrote and performed The Rez featuring Sultans of String Credit: Sultans of String
Crystal Shawanda’s The Rez – a song about the love, laughter, music and food that surrounded her growing up on Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island — is a beautifully happy song.
While Kendra Tagoona and Tracy Sarazin have a great time throat singing Humma. And, for listeners unfamiliar with Inuit throat singing, the song literally ends when one of the singers breaks out laughing.
Their second song, Quviasuliopunga which translates into English as I Am Happy, is sung in their traditional Inuit language and welcomes spring while celebrating being alive.
But I think the song that brought the biggest smile to my face was Tkaronto Reel featuring Metis Fiddler Quartet. It was such a happy, foot tapping tune that makes it pretty impossible not to get up and dance.
Chris tells Small Change listeners what it’s like to be a violinist playing these amazing songs along side such gifted musicians.
We end today’s conversation focusing on Our Mother Earth.
Dr. Duke Redbird performing Our Mother Earth featuring Sultans of String Credit: Photo provided by Chris McKhool
Duke explains why he wrote the poem, Our Mother Earth, which becomes a beautiful spoken word song when accompanied by Sultans of String. This anthem for Mother Earth is more important than ever given the rise of corporate greed and climate change denial.
Sultan of Strings members include Chris McKhool on six-stringed violin, Kevin Laliberté on flamenco guitar, Drew Birston on bass and Rosendo 'Chendy' Leon on percussion.
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Additional information:
Walking Through The Fire is going to the Canadian Folk Music Awards in Ottawa on April 4th. The group has been nominated in the Ensemble of the Year category.
Upcoming film screenings:
Ottawa – May 5 at the Mayfair Theatre
Waterloo – May 2 at Parkminster United Church
Upcoming live concerts:
Toronto – April 12 at Kingston Road United Church
Collingwood – April 26 at Simcoe Street Theatre
Additional live concerts and screenings here.
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article and listened to my podcast. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.
Music: Real Estate by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. freemusicarchive.org.
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