Northern Cree facts for kids

Northern Cree, also known as the Northern Cree Singers, is a famous drum and singing group from Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada. They are known for their amazing powwow and Round Dance music. A powwow is a special gathering of Native American people to celebrate their culture with dancing, singing, and socializing. A Round Dance is a traditional social dance.

The group started around 1980 or 1982. Randy Wood, along with his brothers Charlie and Earl Wood from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, formed the group. Other members come from the Treaty 6 area, including Ferlin McGillvary, Steve Wood, Joel Wood, and Conan Yellowbird.

Northern Cree is considered one of the best groups in modern Native American powwow music. People describe their music as powerful, exciting, and full of energy. They are one of the most respected powwow groups in North America and around the world.

They have been nominated for many important awards. This includes six Grammy Awards and two Juno Awards. In 2017, the Singers, with Randy Wood and Tanya Tagaq, won a Juno Award for their album Going Home Star.

Music and Appearances

Northern Cree has released many albums, mostly live recordings. They have put out over 30 albums on Canyon Records. Some of their albums include:

• Rockin' the Rez (2001)
• Still Rezin' (2003)
• Northern Cree & Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter Nights (2006)
• Stay Red (2006)
• Red Rock: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Muckleshoot (2008)
• True Blue (2009)
• Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs (2010)
• It's a Cree Thing (2016)
• Ewipihcihk: ᐁᐏᐱᐦᒋᐦᐠ (2016) - This means "to go Round Dancing (with)" in Cree.
• Nitisanak - Brothers and Sister (2018)

The group has also appeared in movies and on other artists' music. They were featured in the film Grey Owl (1999). They were also on the album Gathering of Nations Pow Wow 1999 (2000), which won a Grammy Award. Northern Cree is also featured in the song and music video "Indomitable" by DJ Shub. This video won "Best Music Video" at the Native American Music Awards. They also appear on CDs that come with David Bouchard's children's books, Nokum Is My Teacher (2006) and The Drum Calls Softly (2008).

Awards and Nominations

Northern Cree has received many awards and nominations for their music. Here are some of their achievements:

Group Members

The members of Northern Cree include:

• Charlie Wood
• Earl Wood
• Ferlin McGilvery
• Joel Wood
• Steve Wood