Speak Up!

With the support of TD Bank Group, the award-winning Speak Up! exhibition showcases Indigenous artists who have made a social impact on music in Canada, while motivating a new generation to take action and offering a better understanding of where they come from.

The evolving exhibition will reopen on June 17, featuring pioneering Nunavut vocal duo Tudjaat, who introduced audiences worldwide to Katatjaq or Inuit traditional throat singing in the mid-1990s; powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Crystal Shawanda from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, celebrated for her incredible ability to move between country, blues, and soul with equal conviction; Métis singer-songwriter, actor, and author Andrea Menard from Flin Flon, Manitoba, who has earned acclaim as a defining voice within Canada’s arts community; Jerry Alfred, a Northern Tutchone musician from Pelly Crossing, Yukon and hereditary "Keeper of the Songs" for the Crow Clan of the Selkirk First Nation, who has played a vital role in safeguarding ceremonial songs and Northern Tutchone musical knowledge; and the Stoney Park Singers, a renowned family drum group from Mînî Thnî (Morley), Alberta that is known as one of the most respected and influential drum groups on the powwow trail.

This year’s edition of the exhibit will feature storytelling, immersive audio, and personal artifacts, including a dress worn by Andrea Menard during a performance of her one-woman musical The Velvet Devil, and Tudjaat’s 1997 American Indian Film Institute Award for Best Song for their tune "Kajusita (When My Ship Comes In)," which was included on a United Nations compilation CD, and tells the story of the forced exile of a group of Inuit to the High Arctic. Visitors can also see objects and artifacts from past featured artists, including a ribbon skirt worn by JUNO Award-winning traditional artist Fawn Wood, a hand drum from Northern Cree’s Steve Wood, and the cape Jeremy Dutcher wore during his performance at the 2019 Juno Awards. An interactive kiosk invites guests to discover stories from all 36 Indigenous artists celebrated since the exhibit first opened in 2019. Please note: Speak Up! is temporarily closed for updates until June 17, 2026.