The evolving Speak Up! exhibition, supported by TD Bank Group, features 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, 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, 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.

The National Music Centre will reveal an updated edition of its Speak Up! exhibition on June 17 at Studio Bell. This year’s update spotlights a new group of trailblazing Indigenous artists who have used their voices to preserve their culture and inspire the next generation. In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, NMC will also offer free admission and host a special live event featuring one of the exhibit’s newest honourees.