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Blow the dust off your Nimošôm’s (Grandfather cree) record collection, and get ready to find your favourite new track. While we have many contemporary artists on Indigenous Cloud, we also host a huge collection of music from across the decades for you to cherish.

Increasingly, lesson plans in schools are being structured to include Indigenous education, and luckily, Indigenous Cloud is an incredible resource for teachers! We have the largest library of current Indigenous music from a variety of genres, from Indigenous Music Award winning artists, to up and coming artists fresh off the pow wow circuit. There is an amazing selection of music from all over North America for teacher’s to play in the classroom.

On Indigenous Cloud, we have over five generations of Indigenous music for you to discover, and country music is no exception. While we often associate this genre with cowboys, trucks, and the American South, country music has a rich Indigenous history as well. From Canada, the US, and Australia, there are numerous Indigenous country artists spanning generations.

biboon Ojibwe kapepipon ᑲᐯᐱᐳᐣ Cree Ukiuk Inuttut Winter; all of winter While the fall has come to a close for many of us, the arrival of winter brings comfort and calm in it’s blanketing wake. In the winter, our music preferences shift. Slow down and curl up and find the perfect comfort for your soul –or dance around the house in wild abandon! We have an incredible collection of great North American Indigenous artists for you to connect with while staying warm and enjoying this beautiful season.

This beautiful and intricate instrument exhibits gorgeous tones that are perfect for studying, relaxing, or as part of your morning meditation. Unwind and listen to our favourite new Native American flute albums.

This Month’s Indigenous Cloud 5 Featured Artists ᑖᓂᓯ Tanisi This month’s featured genre is Hand Drum. The Hand Drum is handcrafted from animal hide, like deer or elk, that is stretched over a hand-held flexible wooden frame usually formed from a soft wood like birch. Hand Drums are played at pow wows, round dances, and more. The 5 featured artists below all utilize this integral instrument to create beautiful sounds we know you’ll love.

In this month’s interview series, we sat down with Ryan Peekeekoot of Black Rain to talk about Indigenous culture, music, and their hopes for young artists. Black Rain is brothers Ryan and Jamie Peekeekoot and bassist Kevin Joseph, all from Ahtahkakoop Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan. The trio is currently working on their 5th studio album––even through Covid-19. If you love rock and roll, Black Rain could just be your new favourite band.

We were lucky enough to chat with incredibly talented Indigenous artist Wanita Bird this week. She’s a multi-talented and community-oriented Cree artist from Treaty Six in Saskatchewan. She is not only an incredibly talented singer/songwriter and playwright, but also works in beadwork, sewing, painting, and traditional crafts. We have deep respect for her work with youth and at-risk people, and her continued leadership in these communities. We think Wanita Bird is fantastic, and we hope you think so too!

While the Covid-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone, in many ways, the Indigenous community has been hit especially hard. We’ve been reflecting both on the loss of our Elders to this virus and also being prevented from cherished community events. We want to share some of our favourite sounds that we hold close to our hearts, and we look forward to being at pow-wows, round dances, and potlatches with you again soon.