Kelly Fraser
Kelly Fraser was an Inuk-Canadian artist from Nunavut. She championed Inuit culture with her music blending Inuktitut and English languages with contemporary pop and hip hop – bringing Inuit culture to a widespread audience, raising awareness of Inuit rights and history, and challenging stereotypes.
In 2013 she attracted worldwide attention after posting a series of videos on YouTube covering English pop songs in Inuktitut, most notably “Diamonds” by Rihanna, which has garnered over 1.3 million views. She released her debut album Isuma in 2014. Her second album, Sedna (2017), is an Inuktitut album, ᓄᓕᐊᔪᒃ (Nuliajuk), referencing the story of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea. In her words, “The goal of the album is to help heal those suffering from the effects of colonization, including the damaging effects of residential school and forced relocation. There is a great need for Inuit artists to directly speak to those affected from the past."
Kelly walked the red carpet at the 2018 JUNO Awards, where Sedna was nominated for Indigenous Music Album of the Year. She also won an Indspire Award in 2019 in recognition of her work to strengthen and promote Inuit culture and language, particularly among young Indigenous people in Canada.
Tragically, Kelly Fraser journeyed by suicide on December 24, 2019; she was only 26. Her family shared that she had suffered through childhood trauma, racism, and persistent cyberbullying – something she had been intentionally open about with fans. Her mother, Theresa Angoo, and siblings Mellow, Maxine, Jessie, Rachel, Christopher and Oliver, want Fraser to be remembered for her “generosity, honesty, passion and love of life.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available.
In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help. The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts, and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.
