In response to a request from a fan of this song, here is a video of me singing ‘To Bring Back Yesterday’ at the 2007 Indspire Awards.

I wrote and recorded this song in 1999 and released it on my second album entitled ‘Prettybrown’. It is a song written for my mother about her Canadian residential school experience.
I remember when i first played my mother the song it was hard for her to hear. She would smile and walk away. It took awhile, but after a few years she began to be able to listen to the entire song, and then eventually to share the song with others. Then came the apology, the residential school settlement process, truth and reconciliation and the private claim adjufication proces. Nimama relived some of the trauma of RSS through the private claim process and i was there as a witness and family member. It hurt, she hurt, we hurt.

Although my mother was discharged from residential school many years ago, its effects are very much a part of our lives today.
In my heart i rage for the atrocities and abuse my mother and many other children and teenaged first nations youth suffered at the hands of the Canadian residential school system. I’m so very grateful for everything ‘native’ our elders held onto in spite of the genocidal/acculturation tactics they were forced to live through.

I pray our nations continue to heal, reclaim and shapeshift. I pray one day we will all walk together united in truth, accountablility and spiritual wellness. ❤

#neverforget

Fara

The Amazing Willy Dunn

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Amazingly beautiful women singers from what is being said over here in Canada!! LoL When I started singing in 87 there were hardly any women singing! Wow awesome changes! So thankful! Aiy hiy!

A great new song for children!

At a time when Indigenous people were not allowed to perform their dances and songs, Chief Dan George built a trailer, and would go around performing “Indian dances” so he could teach his children the family and clan songs.  He would work as a longshoreman to make a living, and dedicated his free time to preserving the history of his people; and – yeh – he knew how to entertain — even before Hollywood knew his name: