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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.
An intimate and powerful evening of music, story, and spirit from three celebrated Indigenous voices.
Three powerful Indigenous women — Celeigh Cardinal (Cree), Mimi O’Bonsawin (W8banaki), and Lacey Hill (Oneida/Mohawk) — come together in this intimate and moving performance that weaves voice, story, and song into a shared circle of strength. Rooted in their distinct Nations and musical styles, these artists carry the songs of their ancestors, their homelands, and their own lived experience as women, culture bearers, and changemakers.
With soaring harmonies, honest storytelling, and deep reverence for tradition, She Carries the Song is both a celebration and a reclamation — a gathering of spirit, resilience, and connection.
Celeigh Cardinal
An award-winning Cree singer-songwriter whose rich, soulful voice and deeply honest storytelling have earned her national and international acclaim. Her third studio album, Boundless Possibilities (2024), marks a transformative moment in her career—an intimate journey through grief, spiritual growth, and personal sovereignty.
The album’s luminous centrepiece, “Light of the Moon,” earned her the 2024 Songwriter of the Year Award at the Western Canadian Music Awards and helped propel the record to wider recognition. Boundless Possibilities received two JUNO nominations in 2025—for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year—alongside two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations for English and Indigenous Songwriter of the Year. It was also submitted in the first round of Grammy voting.
Celeigh’s earlier albums also received critical praise. Her 2017 debut Everything and Nothing at All won Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards. Her follow-up, Stories from a Downtown Apartment (2019), earned her a JUNO Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2020.
A compelling live performer, Celeigh has toured extensively across North America and Europe. Her music has been featured in film and television, and she has represented Canada on global stages, including Expo 2020 Dubai, Ireland’s Your Roots Are Showing, UK Americana, and Germany’s Reeperbahn Festival.
Lacey Hill
Lacey Hill is a Six Nations Oneida singer-songwriter whose music blends soul, folk, and undeniable heart. A self-taught artist and a rare voice in her community, Hill has steadily built a career rooted in authenticity, releasing a trilogy of deeply personal albums and performing across Canada and internationally.
Her latest record, 528 Vol II: The Moon (2022), continues the journey she began with 528 Vol I (2013) and M (2017), showcasing her growth as a songwriter and storyteller. Each album reflects lived experience, self-discovery, and spiritual connection, infused with Lacey’s signature warmth and honesty. Her work is both healing and bold, offering audiences a rare blend of emotional depth and melodic beauty.
Lacey began her musical path performing backup vocals for local Six Nations bands, but soon emerged as one of the few female artists from her community writing and releasing original music consistently and independently. Between albums, she brings her songs to audiences across Turtle Island and beyond, with notable performances in Australia, Edinburgh, New York, and across central and western Canada.
In 2022 and 2023, she continued to rise with performances that included opening for Sarah Harmer at the Niagara Amphitheatre, showcasing at Folk Music Ontario, performing at the Canada Summer Games, and mentoring emerging artists at SongStudio Live in Toronto. She also appeared at Sobeys’ Day of Reconciliation event and continues to inspire others through motivational speaking, including her keynote, Honouring Your Bundle.
Lacey’s artistry extends beyond music. She starred in the 2022 comedy web series NDNs on the Airwaves and contributed as both a performer and collaborator in Truth and Illusion, a theatrical work produced by Young People’s Theatre in Toronto. Whether through song, storytelling, or stage, her work is deeply rooted in her Indigenous identity and a commitment to creative exploration.
With her unmistakable voice, soul-soothing presence, and growing body of multidisciplinary work, Lacey Hill continues to carve out space as a powerful Indigenous artist, offering music and stories that connect, uplift, and transcend borders.
Mimi O’Bonsawin
Award-winning alt-folk singer-songwriter Mimi O’Bonsawin (MEE-MEE O-BON-SA-WIN) delivers a high-energy, rhythm-driven live experience that effortlessly bridges contemporary roots, rich storytelling, and playful groove. A French-Canadian and W8banaki (Abénaki) artist from the Odanak First Nation, she is deeply tied to the land—leading audiences into a woodland world where music and nature are inseparable.
Performing as a duo alongside her husband, drummer, and co-producer Ryan Schurman, O’Bonsawin crafts an intimate yet surprisingly expansive live sound that feels like a full band. Dressed in her custom, upcycled stage attire, her infectious stage energy and rhythmic ukulele and guitar work create an uplifting atmosphere that gets crowds singing, dancing, and connecting. Mimi’s show is also available as a trio ensemble (featuring lead guitar).
Named Solo Artist of the Year at the 2025 Trille Or Awards and holding four Northern Ontario Music & Film Award (NOMFA) nominations, O’Bonsawin enters a bold new era with her album EVOKE (August 28). Anchored by her #1 Indigenous Music Countdown single “Steady,” the new show features vibrant collaborations, songs in her ancestral Abenaki language (“P8GWAS”), and bilingual storytelling.
A seasoned performer on major stages across Canada and Australia—including Mariposa, Hillside, Vancouver Folk, Woodford, and Francos de Montréal—she has shared stages with Aysanabee, Elisapie, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, and Basia Bulat. Grounded in the belief that “music, like a garden, is meant to be shared,” Mimi brings pure “good medicine” to every mainstage and hall she plays.
Responsible Agent
NICOLE ROCHEFORT