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Join us at “Summer Sisters Sing,” a women’s music circle celebrating the unity of music and sisterhood. Enjoy traditional Indigenous rhythms hosted by Pura Fé and share food, stories, and songs in a warm, welcoming environment. It’s a unique event honoring traditions, embracing diversity, and harnessing the power of music to bring us closer.
Pura Fé is an artist, activist, and storyteller of Tuscarora and Taino heritage, known for her impassioned vocals, slide guitar fireworks, and powerful songs that touch on folk, gospel, and blues traditions. In 1987, she co-founded the renowned Indigenous women’s a cappella group Ulali, and since 1995 she’s been releasing solo albums and collaborating with the likes of Indigo Girls and Robbie Robertson.
“The Indigenous Women Rise Drum Group is proud to represent Indigenous women from across Turtle Island and we are honoured to share good medicine with community through the drum and song.”
Our group has been meeting together since the summer of 2018 in Vancouver, BC. We started with a drum making workshop in the early Spring. We began with a few women, but soon grew to 20+ women, once Covid 19 hit we quickly moved online and expanded our reach. We continue meeting online and in person once per month. Each group starts with a sharing a circle and sharing of songs and ends with a prayer. In 2019 we started performing at various events including the Surrey Children’s Festival, Fusion Festival, Honk BC and more! The women who attend our circle have expressed that the drumming and singing is very healing and good medicine. Some have found their voice and attribute that to the drum circle medicine. The Indigenous nations represented are: Stolo, Maskwacis, Mohawk, Lenape, Saulteaux, Peguis, Sagkeeng, Snuneymuxw, Wetsiwiten, Metis, Anishinaabe, Nadleh Whut’en, Squamish, Tla’amin and Oneida to name a few.
Tzo’kam means “chickadee” and “visitors are coming” in the Stl’atl’imx language. Flora Wallace and her family have sung together at family occasions and community events for more than 50 years.
After elder Flora Wallace participated in the Aboriginal Women’s Voices gathering (1997) at Banff, Alberta, the family decided to expand their efforts to share the culture. It did not take long for Tzo’kam to hit the stage and start recording. The first major concert by Tzo’kam was at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival in the summer of 1997 opening a stage that featured Buffy Saint Marie and Keith Secola.
Tzo’kam recorded for the Smithsonian Institution, for Silverwave Records and released three CD’s on their own. Since 1997 Tzo’kam has performed at many festivals and concerts including Folklife in Washington D.C., Full Circle Concert in Calgary, Alberta, Harrison Arts Festival in Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver, B.C., and many conferences and gatherings.
Tzo’kam, under the direction of Russell Wallace, continues to work within the Indigenous communities and educational communities to teach, share and maintain a tradition that has been kept alive by dedicated elders.
Moonstone is an Indigenous women’s drum group based on Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-waututh lands (Vancouver, BC). There are 8 singers: Kelly White, Jade Brass, Vanessa Chatelain, Casey Desjarlais, Rayanna Seymour, Summer Tyance, Dakota Anderberg, and Claire Akiwenzie coming from the Snuneymuxw/Musqueam, Anishinaabe, Saulteaux, Nehiyaw nation’s. All singers are involved in community in various ways and bring different gifts to our world within the fields of advisory, business, communications, Film work, Law, education, fundraising, and more. What brings them all together is the love for each other, for sisterhood and serenading the people.
Follow us on Instagram @moonstone.drumgroup
Kelly White , is of White Owl Clan. was born in Snuneymuxw BC
Mother, gramma, great gramma. Film Executive Producer, Director.
Advocate – Advisor Elder: Vancouver City Hall, Indigenous Innovations clinic, WAHRS West coast Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society, Sister Watch partners: Feb 14th Memorial March for Missing Murdered Women & VPD. MOONSTONE Drum Group.