The elders of Chisasibi have said that the time has come to tell their story. And the people of Chisasibi have responded. The long awaited double cd Voices of the Land tells the story of Chisasibi in a truly novel way, and it has finally been released to the public.
Held Feb. 24 in Chisasibi, the official un-official release was attended by Chief Abraham Rupert and many others. Some of the musicians who took part in the project provided traditional music. The release was captured by the local television crew and shown Feb. 28 on the local channel. It was very well received by the community despite even though it was held at the same time as other local events. Sales were brisk and the reviews were glowing by those who have had the chance to listen to it.
The distributors say their main focus is on their community and want to ensure that they have first dibs on the homegrown product. Within the next couple of weeks it will be available in all Northern stores in the other communities and deals are in the works to have it available nationally as they have received requests for the cd from all across the country.
Bertie Wapachee is one of the four members on the Advisory Committee for the cd. “This project is so unique, the way it was done to put it all together,” he said. “It’s one example of brilliance. Through spoken word and music, it chronicles the events that led the people to be who they are today. It reaches the deepest wounds and gives people the opportunity to deal with them. Every native community has been through similar events and can use this as their own and start thinking of ways to tell their own story…I’m very proud to be involved.”
Roger House, coordinator, producer and musician of the cd, said they “wanted it to be special, we have a rich heritage and wanted to share it with the world. We hope we can break ground for other people who want to do this sort of thing.”
The cd includes a 16-page booklet with photos and background stories, costs $35 and is well worth it. For more info, contact Roger House at (819) 855-2473.
