Northern Cree
Northern Cree, also known as the Northern Cree Singers, is a powwow and Round Dance drum and singing group based in Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada. Formed in 1982 by Randy Wood, with brothers Charlie and Earl Wood of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, the group's members originate from the Treaty 6 area. These include Ferlin McGillvary, Steve Wood and Joel Wood. Additional members are Shane Dion, Leroy Whitstone, Penny McGilvery, Jonas Tootoosis, Marlon Deschamps, Conan Yellowbird, Dezi Chocan, Ben Cardinal, Kyle Pasquayak, JohnBoy Moosomin, Randall Paskemin, and Mickso Deschamps.
Northern Cree has performed regularly at folk festivals Native American powwows across Canada and the United States and has won hundreds of championship powwow singing titles.
They are the only traditional Canadian Aboriginal group to have been nominated for a Grammy. In 2017, the Singers, along with founder Randy Wood and Tanya Tagaq, won a Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble for the album Going Home Star.
Discography
Northern Cree has released 38 recordings. Many are live recordings on Canyon Records.| Year | Album |
| 1991 | Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 1 |
| 1991 | Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 2 |
| 1991 | Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 3: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Fort Duchesne |
| 1993 | Northern Cree Singers, Vol. 4: No Word Songs Please: Straight Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live |
| 1993 | Vol. 5: Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live |
| 1994 | Vol. 6: Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live |
| 1996 | Vol. 7: Pow Wow Songs, Live at Lummi |
| 1996 | Vol. 8: Come and Dance — Pow Wow Songs, Live at Whiteriver |
| 1997 | Dance Hard! : Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Poundmaker's Lodge |
| 1998 | Honor the Eagle Feather: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live in Kamloops |
| 1998 | It's Time to Round Dance! |
| 1999 | Here to Stay |
| 1999 | In Our Drum We Trust |
| 1999 | Showtime: Round Dance Songs |
| 2000 | Rockin' the Rez: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake |
| 2000 | Second Song: Dancer's Choice!: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake |
| 2002 | Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 1: Round Dance Songs Recorded Live |
| 2002 | Round Dance Jam |
| 2002 | Still Rezin′ |
| 2003 | Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 2: Honoring Singers and Songmakers |
| 2004 | Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 3: Honoring Singers and Songmakers |
| 2004 | Rezonate: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake |
| 2005 | Nikamo = "Sing": Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Samson |
| 2005 | Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 4: Slide and Sway |
| 2006 | Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 5: Long Winter Nights: Round Dance "Live!" |
| 2006 | Stay Red: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Pullman |
| 2007 | Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 6: Calling All Dancers |
| 2007 | Northern Cree and Friends, Vol. 7: Dancin' til Sunrise |
| 2008 | Red Rock: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Muckleshoot |
| 2009 | True Blue |
| 2010 | Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs |
| 2011 | Drum Boy: Mistikwaskihk Napesis: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Saddle Lake |
| 2012 | Dancerz Groove: Cree Round Dance Songs |
| 2013 | Loyalty to the Drum: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live in Rocky Boy |
| 2014 | Breaking Boundaries: Pow-wow Songs Recorded Live at Red Mountain |
| 2014 | Ewipihcihk : Cree Round Dance Songs |
| 2016 | It's a Cree Thing: Cree Round Dance Songs |
| 2017 | Mîyo Kekisepa, Make a Stand: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Red Mountain |
| 2018 | Nîtisânak : Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Shakopee |
| 2019 | When It's Cold: Cree Round Dance Songs |
| 2022 | Drums In the Pines: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live in Keshena |
Other appearances
Northern Cree was featured in the 1999 film Grey Owl. They are featured on the album Gathering of Nations Pow Wow 1999, which won a Grammy in 2001. The group is featured in the song and music video "Indomitable" by DJ Shub, which was nominated for Best EDM/Dance Video in the 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards and won Best Music Video in the 2017 Native American Music Awards. In 2017, the group performed live as part of the pre-telecast for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, which was the first time that traditional Native American or Indigenous music was performed on the Grammy stage.Northern Cree is featured on the CDs which accompany David Bouchard's children's books in Cree and English: Nokum Is My Teacher and The Drum Calls Softly, both on Red Deer Press.