Interview: A Tribe Called Red Go On Neighbourhood Watch
Arguably the best moment of the 2014 JUNO Awards was watching the pride beam off the faces of A Tribe Called Red as they, as surprised as 
a band could be, were presented with the award for Breakthrough Group of the Year.
The indigenous trio – Bear Witness, DJ Shub, and DJ NDN – nervously accepted the award, while fighting back what could be presumed as a number of emotions rising to the surface at once. Their 2013 album Nation II Nation had done what some may have once seen impossible: give indigenous dance music – or as the band would call it, Electric Pow Wow – some real time in the sun.
“It was very unexpected,” says Witness of the JUNO experience when in conversation with Riffyou.com. “The sense of pride had to do with more than just us as a group winning an award. It was more about what it means to indigenous music, and having our own music recognized on a national level, with everybody else’s music.”
After getting their start by putting on a dance party for indigenous people in their hometown of Ottawa, ON, the group has moved quickly toward a position of great importance: spokespeople for their community.
“What this has grown into is something none of us foresaw,” adds Witness. “And now we find ourselves in a very politicized position very quickly, after just trying to throw a dance party for indigenous people.”
This position Witness speaks of is not one that A Tribe Called Red take lightly. They recognize that they have become a voice for a segment of society that for decades upon decades has been battling against stereotypes and images that the media has taught the public to associate with indigenous people.
Witness says that because of his band’s roots and the spotlight thrust upon it, being political isn’t a choice: it’s a responsibility.
“I don’t think it’s an unfair responsibility, but a necessary responsibility,” he explains. “It’s one that – as indigenous artists who are deep in their culture through their art – we definitely have to step up to. It would be incredibly irresponsible for us to try and use music from our culture and then turn our back on where our communities are at right now. To use this response that we’re getting to draw attention to things that often don’t get talked about enough, is a responsibility that we all feel.”
The deep love between A Tribe Called Red and where they’re from runs deep. By openly taking on the responsibility that they have, the band has since found themselves to be role models for indigenous youth, not to mention representatives for those who have come before them.
“We’ve found ourselves in the position where we’ve had to take on the responsibility of being seen as role models – that is something we didn’t set out to do, but is a position we found ourselves in, and a position people have told us we’re in now,” continues Witness. “As far as 
how we interact as a group, there is that concern of what our ancestors would think about how we’re doing things. What would our families think? That’s always in our minds.”
Now, let’s flashback to that night at the JUNO Awards. A Tribe Called Red is accepting their award before an in-arena audience of thousands, along with a nationwide TV audience. As far as Riffyou.com can tell, the mainstream has come to them – not the other way around.
For years, the JUNO Awards have celebrated artists through designated Aboriginal categories. In a show and awards ceremony that has spanned 40+ years, it isn’t easy to recall the last time an indigenous collective were able to stand before all those folks and be recognized in a non-culturally specific category.
So, the question remains: what brought the mainstream to A Tribe Called Red?
“I think it has a lot to do with the point in time that we’re at right now. People in general seem more interested in listening to indigenous people right now…not only in the arts, but across the board,” states Witness. “We’re starting to see more, and better, and truer, representations of indigenous people throughout Canada and North America. We’ve hit a point in time where our community is ready to let this happen.”
Be sure to see A Tribe Called Red on Saturday, June 7 as they perform at Toronto’s Field Trip Music and Arts Festival.
-Adam Grant
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