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NMC's National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee plays an important role at the National Music Centre (NMC), providing critical feedback on NMC programs and content. Its members share their vision and experience, identify programming opportunities as they relate to Indigenous content, and help NMC collaborate with and create space for Indigenous voices. The committee has First Nation, Metis and Inuit representation in order to connect NMC with the true diversity within the Indigenous community, and acts as a guiding voice for exhibitions and programs at Studio Bell.
David McLeod is the CEO of NCI-FM which operates a provincial radio network throughout Manitoba. He is also the Executive Producer of the Indigenous Music Countdown (IMC), a weekly two-hour top #40 program heard nationally on SiriusXM (channel 165) over the last ten years, the IMC is also heard on 6 stations across Canada with 2 in the U.S. The IMC is Canada's longest running Indigenous music chart (2000), and the recipient of three Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards. David received a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award in 2002 for launching the chart which has since featured thousands of artists.
He is also the co-curator of the Speak Up! exhibition at the National Music Centre which celebrates groundbreaking Indigenous artists. David was recently active in assisting with the curation of the Beyond The Beat exhibition at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in recognizing Indigenous artists over the last 60 years until recent times. Both exhibits feature artists who’ve pushed for social change and understanding.
David also played a pivotal role in the establishment of Indigenous music playlists at both SiriusXM and Stingray Music. He is an avid vinyl collector and has amassed over a thousand records which highlight the breath of Indigenous music recorded over the last several decades.
David McLeod is a member of Minegoziibe Anishinabe (Pine Creek First Nation) located in treaty #4 territory, Manitoba.
Steve Wood is widely respected for his knowledge, leadership and belief that honouring the drum has the power to greatly enrich the lives of Indigenous people, particularly youth. In 1982 the Northern Cree Singers were founded by Steve Wood and his brothers, Randy and Earl Wood. The group originates from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation but is made up of members from across the Treaty 6 area, including the Frog Lake Cree Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Samson Cree Nation, Louis Bull Cree Nation, and the Poundmaker Cree Nation.
Northern Cree currently have 40 albums that are distributed world-wide by their Phoenix, AZ based record label, Canyon Records. They have garnered 9 Grammy nominations, multi-Juno nominations with a win in 2019, and have been awarded multiple Native American Music Awards and Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Northern Cree have also won numerous powwow singing competitions. They have created music for, and appeared in, the major motion picture “Grey Owl,” which was produced and directed by the Lord Richard Attenborough. Northern Cree also performed on stage during the 2017 Grammy pre-show.
Northern Cree are role models for all First Nations people and live by Steve’s motto: “If you believe in yourself, who you are, where you come from, your culture and more importantly your language, it will take you to places you have never even dreamed of.”
Steve Wood also works as an educator and mentor at the Junior/Senior High School on the Ermineskin First Nation, Alberta.
Madeleine Allakariallak is an award-winning Inuk journalist from Nunavut. She most recently held the position of Director of TV Programming and Post Production at the Inuit owned Tarqamiut Timingat Inc. in Montreal. Madeleine spent many years as a radio news reporter, a morning show host and then TV host at CBC North. She’s also host/produced a national news program on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network in Winnipeg.
Madeleine is a respected advocate for Inuit culture and language. Her first language is Inuktitut. She learned English in school and also attended residential school. It is with this experience that she was proud to be the Executive Assistant to the first female Premier of the territory she comes from.
Madeleine is also an award winning singer/songwriter where her songs combined both Inuktitut and English but also throatsinging. Her album Tudjaat took her to many countries around the world. She has performed for royalty in Japan, but notably for the Queen of England when her royal highness visited Canada.
Madeleine is a former member of the Indigenous committee that helped narrow the selection of musicians vying to win a Juno. She’s also been a member of the CBC’s annual searchlight contest for aspiring musicians across the country.
Madeleine comes from Canada’s second most northern community of Resolute Bay, where her family was forcibly moved by the Federal Government in the 1950’s to protect the high Arctic from other countries.
A mother to 5 children and 3 grandchildren, Madeleine spends much of her time right now advocating for her adopted sick baby at the children’s hospital in Montreal.
Alan Greyeyes is a member of the Peguis First Nation and serves as the Festival Director for the sākihiwē festival.
Alan describes himself as a "music industry helper" and his full-time career in the music industry started almost 20 years ago at Manitoba Music, where he got to work on the Aboriginal Music Program Camp (or AMP Camp), a bunch of music showcases, countless panel discussions and workshops, and a number of export missions for Indigenous artists.
Today, Alan's work includes artist booking, fundraising, marketing, partnership development, and production of the sākihiwē festival, an outreach concert series, an annual round dance, and special projects for Aboriginal Music Manitoiba. He also supports the National Music Centre and the SOCAN Foundation with their Indigenous music residencies and Indigenous artist song camps.
Alan volunteers as a board member for the Indigenous Music Office, the Polaris Music Prize, and the RBC Convention Centre.
In 2023, Alan received the Making a Difference award from the Winnipeg Arts Council and in 2020 he earned the Arts Award of Distinction from the Manitoba Arts Council.
Leela Gilday is a celebrated musician- songwriter, singer, guitarist, composer and creator from Denendeh. If you’re from the North, her music is home. If you’ve never been, it will take you there. Born and raised in the Northwest Territories, she writes about the people and the land that created her- of love and life and a rugged environment and vibrant culture. She believes music has an inexplicable effect on people –a place where she can share light and dark and the most vulnerable moments. Her music has been recognized with many awards including two Junos, and she has toured nationally and internationally for the better part of 25 years. She recently formed a duo project with her brother Jay Gilday called “Sechile Sedare.” She is also in the process of language reclamation, and her forthcoming record is all in Dene languages.
Leela’s career as an Artistic Director has included projects such as the Circumpolar Soundscape, Muskoskwew Quartet, Tsekwi Huya Gala celebration, finale of Indspire awards gala 2017 and 2020, Gho-Bah/Gombaa collective concert and recording, six years as Musical Director for the national Arctic Inspiration Prize Ceremony (2018-2023, and work as Music Supervisor for a number of film projects in health and wellness. She has also worked extensively throughout her career with various communities across Turtle Island to inspire and educate youth about the power of the voice. Her volunteer work includes years on the board of the NWT Arts Council, founding member and Executive board member of Music NWT. She is also a current board member of Music Managers Forum Canada, a key collective member of Atti! Indigenous Artists Collective (NWT) and Chair of the Board of the new national Indigenous Music Office(IMO). She lives in and works from Treaty 8 Chief Drygeese Territory in Yellowknife, NT (Denendeh).
Lowa Beebe (2019-2022)
Amanda Rheaume (2019-2023)
Eldon Weasel Child (2023-2024)