Leonard Sumner
Anishinaabe MC/Singer/Songwriter Leonard Sumner's storytelling originates and flows from the shores of his homeland known as the Little Saskatchewan First Nation located in Treaty 2 Territory.
His two politically charged albums, Rez Poetry (2013) and the JUNO-nominated Standing in the Light (2018) are evidence of his ability to simultaneously occupy landscapes of multiple musical genres.
Sumner's self-determined sound contends with Canada’s historic and contemporary violence and resuscitates Indigenous ways of knowing and being. His music rattles the dust off truths that have been hidden for far too long.
In this era of unsettling history and healing wounds of the past, Sumner's music plays a critical role in ensuring Indigenous peoples’ stories and experiences are genuinely and unequivocally centred.
Curator's Comments
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Speak Up! is curated by David McLeod (member of the Pine Creek First Nation, MB), Indigenous programming consultant.