Tanya Tagaq facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tanya Tagaq
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Tagaq in 2021
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tanya Tagaq Gillis |
| Born | May 5, 1975 |
| Origin | Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
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Tanya Tagaq is a talented Canadian artist. She is an Inuk throat singer, songwriter, and writer. She also acts and creates visual art. Tanya Tagaq was born on May 5, 1975. She comes from Cambridge Bay in Nunavut, Canada. This community is on the south coast of Victoria Island.
Contents
Early Life and Education
When Tanya Tagaq was 15, she moved to Yellowknife. This city is in the Northwest Territories. She attended Sir John Franklin High School there. It was during this time that she started practicing throat singing. Like many students from the central Arctic, she lived in a special residence called Akaitcho Hall.
Later, Tanya Tagaq studied visual arts. She went to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Inuit throat singing is usually done by two women. But Tanya Tagaq developed her own solo style. She decided to sing alone because she didn't have a singing partner.
Music Career
Tanya Tagaq became well-known for her unique performances. She was popular at Canadian folk festivals. One of these was Folk on the Rocks in 2005. She gained international fame by working with the artist Björk. They toured together and Tagaq was on Björk's 2004 album, Medúlla. She has also performed with the Kronos Quartet.
In 2005, Tanya Tagaq released her CD called Sinaa. This word means "edge" in Inuktitut. The album was nominated for five awards. It won Best Producer/Engineer and Best Album Design. Tanya Tagaq also won Best Female Artist. Sinaa was nominated for a Juno Award in 2006.
Her 2008 album, Auk/Blood, featured collaborations with Mike Patton. In 2011, she released a live album called Anuraaqtuq. This album was recorded at a festival in Victoriaville.
In 2012, Tanya Tagaq performed the theme music. It was for the CBC television show Arctic Air.
Her third album, Animism, came out in May 2014. It won the $30,000 2014 Polaris Music Prize. This album also won the Juno Award for Aboriginal Recording of the Year in 2015.
Tanya Tagaq's fourth album, Retribution, was released in October 2016. Her show in Toronto that November was completely sold out.
Her fifth album, Tongues, was released in 2022. It was inspired by her book Split Tooth.
Acting Roles
Tanya Tagaq has also started acting. She appeared in the fourth season of the TV show True Detective. This was her first acting role.
In 2025, she appeared in the TV series North of North. In this show, she played the goddess Nuliajuk.
Creative Collaborations
Tanya Tagaq has worked with many other artists. In 2005, she released Shaman Voices. This recording was with Okna Tsahan Zam, a throat singer from Kalmykia. She also worked with Wimme, a yoiker from Finland.
She started working with the Kronos Quartet in 2005. They have performed together across North America. In 2015, Tagaq was asked to write a piece for their Fifty for the Future project.
In 2012, Tanya Tagaq created live music for the film Nanook of the North. This was for the Toronto International Film Festival. She worked with composer Derek Charke and other musicians. She found the film inspiring. She said it showed how amazing her ancestors were. They survived in the harsh Arctic environment.
Tagaq also worked with composer Christos Hatzis. They created music for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's show Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation (2015). This work won a Juno Award in 2017.
In 2017, Tagaq worked with Buffy Sainte-Marie on a song. It was called "You Got to Run (Spirit of the Wind)". This song was inspired by a champion dog sled racer. Tagaq has also been a guest singer for bands like July Talk and Weaves.
In 2022, Tagaq worked on the documentary film Ever Deadly. She collaborated with Chelsea McMullan on this project.
Activism and Advocacy
Tanya Tagaq is a strong supporter of traditional Inuit sealing. She also supports Indigenous land rights. She believes in protecting the culture and traditions of her people.
In 2014, some animal rights groups criticized seal hunting. In response, many people posted "sealfies" online. These were pictures of themselves with sealskin or eating seal meat. Tanya Tagaq posted a picture of her young daughter next to a seal. This seal was hunted to feed elders in her community. Seal meat is an important part of the Inuk diet. Some animal rights groups reacted negatively to her post. She received many negative comments online.
During her Polaris Music Prize acceptance speech, she encouraged people to wear and eat seal. She spoke strongly against groups that oppose the Inuit hunt. Inuit people have explained that attacks on the seal hunt harm Indigenous communities. This is because it affects the market for furs. Tanya Tagaq also highlighted other important issues. She mentioned the many missing and murdered Indigenous women. In 2016, she reported that she was temporarily blocked from Facebook. This happened after she posted a photo of a sealskin coat.
The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network recognized Tanya Tagaq in 2016. They named her one of the top Indigenous "movers and shakers." They praised her for speaking out. She helps to show the truth about unfair treatment of Indigenous people. She also supports her culture, including seal hunting.
In 2020, she narrated a music video. It was for "End of the Road" by the band Crown Lands. This song is about the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Awards and Recognition
Tanya Tagaq has received many awards for her work:
- 2006 Juno Awards, nominee: Aboriginal Recording of the Year, Sinaa
- 2009 Juno Awards, nominee: Aboriginal Recording of the Year and Instrumental Album of the Year, Auk/Blood
- 2014 2014 Polaris Music Prize, winner: Animism
- 2014 Canadian Folk Music Pushing the Boundaries Award
- 2015 Juno Awards, nominee: Alternative Album of the Year, Animism
- 2015 Juno Awards, winner: Aboriginal Recording of the Year, Animism
- 2015 Western Canadian Music Award, winner: Aboriginal Recording of the Year, Spiritual Recording of the Year and World Recording of the Year.
- December 2016, she became a Member of the Order of Canada.
- 2017 Juno Awards, winner: Classical Album of the Year - Large Ensemble, Going Home Star
- 2019 Indigenous Voices Award for prose published in English, Split Tooth
- 2023 Gordon Burn prize, nominee: Split Tooth
Discography
Studio Albums
- Sinaa (2005)
- Auk/Blood (2008)
- Animism (2014) - Won the 2014 Polaris Music Prize and a Juno Award.
- Retribution (2016)
- Toothsayer (EP, 2019)
- Tongues (2022)
Live Albums
- Anuraaqtuq (2011)
Collaborations
- Going Home Star (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Tanya Tagaq para niños
