“Our language is a land acknowledgment, you know, when we use that language, it automatically imbues our world with life force. We're not going to cut down that tree. And if we do, we're going to offer something, you know, because it's a being just like us.” ~Jeremy Dutcher, Member of the Wolastoqiyik People of the Neqotkuk 

Today we’re listening to music that is an act of language revitalization and a crafted response to the crises we collectively face.  

Recently, Nia Tero brought musician and storyteller Jeremy Dutcher together with a group of young Indigenous creators and culture bearers to talk about the intersections of artistic practice and Indigenous sovereignty. During this gathering, Jeremy performed on “Live on KEXP and shared a powerful conversation with musician and long-time KEXP DJ Gabriel Teodros.  

Jeremy Dutcher is a member of the Wolastoqiyik People of the Neqotkuk (formerly known as Tobique First Nation) in eastern Canada. Jeremy is a Two-Spirit song carrier, a classically trained musician and composer, an activist, and ethnomusicologist who writes and sings music in their Native language as an act of language preservation and Indigenous sovereignty. In this episode, Jeremy shares songs from their first album, “Sakomawit”, as well as their new album “Motewolonuwok ᒣᑏᐧᐁᓓᓄᐧᐁᒃ”, which came out October 6, 2023. 

We greatly appreciate this unique collaboration with our long-time friends at KEXP. This episode was hosted and produced by Jessica Ramirez, with story editing and audio mix by Jenny Asarnow. 

More information: 

• Learn more about Jeremy and find their music here. 
• Keep up with Jeremy’s album release and current tour dates by following them on Instagram. 
• Get to know KEXP! Listen to their live content via their website and catch up with a rich treasure trove of past episodes of Live on KEXP here. 
• Get to know Gabiel Teodros on Instagram, and follow his post-KEXP journey here. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Elder and Language Keeper Maggie Paul 
• Buffy St. Marie 
• Kehkimin Wolastoqey language immersion school  
• 4th World Media Lab 
• Seattle International Film Festival 

Seedcast is a production of Nia Tero, a global nonprofit which supports Indigenous land guardianship around the world through policy, partnership, and storytelling initiatives.

Enjoy the Seedcast podcast on the Nia Tero website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

Keep up with Seedcast on Instagram and use the hashtag #Seedcast.