Jeremy Dutcher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeremy Dutcher
Jeremy Dutcher live in concert at The Great Hall in Toronto, Ontario, 2018
Background information
Born	(1990-11-08) November 8, 1990 (age 34) Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Origin	Fredericton
Genres	Classical Indigenous Opera
Occupation(s)	Singer, pianist, composer, activist
Years active	2014–present
Labels	Secret City Records

Jeremy Dutcher is a talented Canadian Indigenous musician. He is a singer, pianist, and composer. He is also an activist who works to support his community. Jeremy is known for his unique music style. He blends classical music with traditional Indigenous songs.

He became famous for his first album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. This album won the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. It also won the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year in 2019.

Jeremy Dutcher's Background

Jeremy Dutcher is a member of the Tobique First Nation. This is a Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) community in New Brunswick, Canada. He studied music and anthropology at Dalhousie University. He first trained to sing opera, which is a type of classical music. Later, he started to include the traditional songs of his community in his performances.

How His Music Began

Jeremy created his album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa after a special project. He researched old recordings of traditional Maliseet songs. These recordings were kept at the Canadian Museum of History. Many of these songs were no longer being taught to young people. Jeremy wanted to help bring them back to life through his music.

Collaborations and Appearances

In 2021, Jeremy worked with a famous cellist named Yo-Yo Ma. They collaborated on a song called "Honor Song." This song was part of Yo-Yo Ma's album, "Notes for the Future." Jeremy sang the song in both the original Mi'kmaq and in Wolastoqey, his own language.

In 2022, Jeremy was a guest judge on the TV show Canada's Drag Race.

Supporting His Community

Jeremy Dutcher strongly supports his community. He has held concerts to raise money for the Kehkimin Wolastoqey Language Immersion School. His mother, Lisa Perley-Dutcher, founded this school. Jeremy believes it is important to keep the Wolastoqey language alive. He told APTN News that it is an exciting time for language revival in his home territory.

Recent Music and Awards

In 2023, Jeremy released another album called Motewolonuwok. This album also features songs in the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language. It also includes some songs in English.

Motewolonuwok was nominated for a Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year in 2024. It also won the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. This made Jeremy Dutcher the first artist to win the Polaris Music Prize twice!

In 2025, Jeremy Dutcher received the National Arts Centre Award. This award was presented by the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon. At the awards gala, Jeremy performed with the Inuk singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark.

Jeremy Dutcher's Activism

Jeremy Dutcher uses his music and voice to support important causes.

Indigenous Language and Culture

Jeremy works to protect the Wolastoq culture and language. He wants to inspire young Indigenous people to understand how important language is. He explained that recording in his native Wolastoq language helps to change the idea that Canadian music must only be in English or French. He asked, "Up until this point, why have there been no popular records in my language?"

At the Juno Awards in 2019, Jeremy spoke about the importance of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. He performed a song called “Sakomawit” from his album. He sang it while black and white photos of his Wolastoq ancestors were shown.

Supporting Two-Spirit People

Jeremy identifies as two-spirit. This is a term used by some Indigenous North Americans. It describes Indigenous people who have a traditional gender role in their community that is different from typical male or female roles.

Jeremy has worked with Egale Canada, an organization that supports human rights for LGBT people. He speaks about how Indigenous and two-spirit identities connect. He has talked about how the Maliseet language does not have gendered pronouns. He encourages people to think about gender in a "less Western" way.

Discography

• Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (2018)
• Motewolonuwok (2023)

Awards and Nominations