Once again 14-year-old Kiya Bruno of Samson Cree Nation has performed at a major event, representing her culture and language singing the national anthem in Cree for CBC The National’s Canada Day Special on July 1.
“Kiya said she honoured our Indigenous people and 153 years of resistance when she sang, but also honoured our culture and language as a Nêhiýaw Iskwew ( Cree woman),” said Barbara Dumigan Jackson, Bruno’s mother.
READ MORE: Kiya Bruno sings at Hockey Day in Canada
“She thinks Indigenous representation is so important in Canada and that we need to continue educating non-Indigenous people on our Indigenous history, Indigenous rights, crises among our people and continue to share our beautiful culture and language.
“Being able to share a piece of her language and culture is important to preserving and revitalizing her Cree language. She is learning her language through music and would like to inspire others to do the same.”
Bruno has been performing the Canadian national anthem in Cree and English since she was 11 years old.
She has sang it at least 30 times or more at multiple sporting and community events, according to her mother.
Some of the bigger events she sang for were the Toronto Blue Jays game for National Indigenous Peoples Day in 2019, the Edmonton Oilers’ game for Hockey Day in Canada in honour of people of the norternh and First Nations people in February, 2020.
She’s also sang at Alberta sporting events such as the Edmonton Prospects and Oil Kings games.
