Willie Thrasher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Willie Thrasher
Willie Thrasher photographed in Montréal, Québec, Canada at La Sala Rossa.
Born	1948 Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada
Occupation	Musician
Years active	1960s – present

Willie Thrasher (born 1948) is an Inuvialuk musician from Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada. He has created music as a solo artist. He has also been part of several bands, including The Cordells and Red Cedar. Thrasher has used his music to support Inuit and First Nations issues throughout his career.

Early Life

Willie Thrasher was born in 1948 in Aklavik. His family followed the traditional Inuit hunting way of life in the western Arctic. His father was a whaler and a hunter.

When he was five years old, Willie was sent to a Canadian government residential school. These schools were set up to educate Indigenous children. He attended Immaculate Conception and Grollier Hall Residential Schools in Aklavik. He stayed there until he was sixteen. While at school, he learned to play the drums.

After leaving school, he worked as a forest firefighter in Whitehorse. He also started playing in rock groups. Willie was a big fan of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. He formed a band called The Cordells with his brother and friends.

Music Journey

The Cordells band toured northern Canada in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They played at schools and community halls. They were known as the first rock and roll band in Inuvik. They mostly played popular songs by other artists.

After one show in the mid-1970s, an older man spoke to Thrasher. He asked Willie why he didn't play music that showed his Inuit background. This made Willie think deeply about his music. From that moment, he began writing more personal songs. He also started learning about traditional Inuit music.

After this change, Thrasher joined other famous artists. These included Buffy Sainte-Marie and Willie Dunn. They explored Indigenous topics in their music during the mid-1970s. They also spoke out about important issues.

In the early 1980s, Thrasher made two recordings with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Northern Service. One was Spirit Child, a studio album of his own songs. The other was Sweet Grass, a live recording. He made Sweet Grass in Val-d'Or, Quebec, with other First Nations musicians. These musicians included Willy Mitchell, Morley Loon, and Roger House.

Thrasher later joined Morley Loon's Red Cedar group in Vancouver in the 1980s. In 1990, Thrasher took part in the Odeyak expedition. During this event, Cree and Inuit leaders paddled from Quebec to New York City. A song written by Thrasher was performed by the group in Times Square. In 1998, Thrasher performed at a special event. It was a revival of traditional potlach ceremonies. Judy Gingell, the Commissioner of the Yukon, organized it in Whitehorse.

Three of his songs, "Spirit Child", "Old Man Carver", and "We Got to Take You Higher", are on the 2014 album Native North America, Vol. 1. Because of this album, Thrasher became more well-known. He started touring more, playing at festivals in Austin, Texas and the Northwest Territories. His 1981 album Spirit Child was re-released in October 2015. Willie Thrasher now lives on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia.

Discography

• Sweet Grass Music (live), 1980, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Northern Service, with Willy Mitchell, Morley Loon, and Roger House
• Spirit Child, 1981, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Northern Service
• Asumatak – The Great Land, 2009