#iskwe

MAYA:

13.0.12.11.10

kan [4] OK|TZI' [dog] - waxak [8] ZOTZ

galactic tone: stability/ measure

sun sign: dog/white/ north

enjoy friends and family

NAHUA:

nahui [4] - ITZCUINTLI [dog]

Tonatiuh Mictlantecuhtli

tecuzolin [quail]

lord of the night: Piltzintecuhtli

trecena [4]: Tepeyollotl

x: chicome [7] - teotleco

"Shared Experience", Clint Holtsoi, 2022.

"Unsettle the Settler", Ryan Young, 2021.

Today we honor Jonathan Joss who was murdered protecting his husband in a senseless act of violence. He was best known as the voice of John Redcorn and his role on Parks and Rec. He meant so much to many and will be missed. These are QUEER INDIGENOUS performers:

Trixie Mattel, Vanessa Williams, LIONbabe: BOP!

Lido Pimienta: Eso Que Tu Haces

Frosty: Not Exotic

Mo'Ju: Native Tongue

Dioganhdih: Native New Yorker

Ziibiwan Rivers: Naoko

Bobby Sanchez: t4t

Jayli Wolf: Child of the Government

FONTINE: Yarrow Lover

Try the Pie: Theories of Consciousness

KOJI: To Carry (On and On)

Marx Cassity: Somewhere

STEFA: Costillas

OKAN: Espiral

Iskwe: Sometimes

Black Belt Eagle Scout: Indians Never Die

GR Gritt ft Smokii Sumac: Our Names

Cris Derksen: Pow.Wow.Wow

Jeremy Dutcher: Ancestors Too Young

Snotty Nose Rez Kids ft Jeremy Dutcher: Future Ancestors

Arachnid: Windigo

Tony Enos: In My Dreams

Sister Ray: Teeth

Zoon: Manitou

Shawnee AKA She King: Grave Digger

Shawnee Kish: No Evil

Melody McKiver: Bezhig

Angel Haze: Black Dahlia

Lizzie No - neo-folk 

Vagabon - alt indie rock, electropop 

Haley Heynderickx - indie folk

Half Waif - synthpop 

iskwē - indie rock

This past Thursday we had the pleasure of being invited to Northern Beat - an industry-only Grammy’s Week event hosted by the Canadian Consulate. The night was comprised of four artists - Iskwe, Daniel Caesar, Neon Dreams, and Dear Rouge. Having only known of Daniel Caesar’s work, we were excited to be indulged with new artists!

The night started off with a bang - Iskwe. In her native language, her name translates to “woman”. And boy is she a fierce one! Her awesome, unique look is matched with an outstandingly powerful vocal. She soaked up all the air in the room and totally blew us away. 

Iskwe took a little bit of time to use her platform to talk about what she stands for - which, among other things, consists of women’s rights. And she is a brilliant example of just how strong a woman can be, and we couldn’t be more glad to say we had the chance to see her perform in such an intimate setting!

Next up was the amazing Daniel Caesar. Daniel is nominated for 2 Grammys this year - and those nominations are extremely well deserved! We already knew some of his music, but we weren’t expecting how captivating he truly is. His voice is smooth as velvet! Much different than the strong, powerful Iskwe - Daniel slowed things down. 

Daniel started off with The Best Part - our all-time favorite. We were immediately swept away. His voice takes you to a whole different planet. There were girls at the front, sitting on the floor, just taking in his performance. There is just some unexplainable vibe to his music. It really was a wonderful sight to see him perform up-close and personal. We are definitely rooting for him this Sunday!

The third act of the night was Neon Dreams. We were not expecting the energy that these boys brought to the stage! It was a really fun performance to watch. They were all jamming out up there - the energy was infectious!

Our favorite song of theirs was “Insane”. It starts off slow and really builds up. It’ll have you head-banging instantly! We were so into it, and we can’t wait to see what else they’ve got up their sleeves!

And to close the night was Dear Rouge. We are TOTALLY OBSESSED with the lead singer - Danielle McTaggart. She has the coolest fashion style we have ever seen - we would probably label it retro-chic. And dang does she have a good voice! But even better than her voice is her stage presence.

The band as a whole has great energy together, but there is something different about Danielle’s performance. She has so much passion, and really puts her all into the song! We couldn’t get enough of her rocking out with the bright blue tambourine of hers!

Find a #electronic song

Iskwe - Soldier

It's impossible to know what shape our planet will be in several generations down the road. What I do know is that we need to do better. Soldier is for all the protectors of our land, our water and our future generations. The single comes from my new album The Fight Within, out October 13 2017.

While my music is undoubtedly a source of deep, personal strength for me, it is also a form of protest––protest against the continued hardships of the North American Indigenous community, protest against flippant legislature failing to protect our lands and waterways, and protest against fallout women face when speaking out on issues within the music industry.

I speak my mind about my culture and gender. I’ve never been timid or shy about addressing those sorts of topics in my music because that’s not my spirit - I was raised to be loud about the things I believe in! I intend to honor my heritage and stand steadfast in my viewpoints while creating music that rings true to to myself as an artist.