‘Speak Up!’ returns with powerful new voices at Calgary’s National Music Centre

Calgary’s National Music Centre is amplifying Indigenous stories with a refreshed edition of its award-winning Speak Up! exhibition, opening June 18 at Studio Bell. The 2025 update features five powerful artists who’ve used music to shift culture, preserve language, and challenge perceptions across Canada.

Beatrice Deer, Ray St. Germain, Harry Rusk, Kelly Fraser, and the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers now join the exhibition’s growing list of changemakers. Each one brings something deeply personal — from trailblazing on national TV to turning grief into sound, and sharing the spirit of the land through dance.

“Every year, the NMC, through the Speak Up! exhibition, recognizes Indigenous artists who basically made social change,” says curator David McLeod. “Who brought about a new light to Indigenous people, and basically used their platform as artists to tell their story — and change the landscape and understanding of who Indigenous people are.”

Beatrice Deer, who headlines the National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration on June 21, blends indie rock with traditional throat singing and lyrics in Inuktitut, English, and French. Raised in the village of Quaqtaq, Nunavik, she brings lived experience to every performance and every stitch — her handcrafted arnauti (a traditional Inuit women’s garment) is also on display.

“She’s a powerhouse,” says McLeod. “Alternative rock mixed with Inuktitut language, and also stories of the North.”

Ray St. Germain, often called “Winnipeg’s Elvis,” helped define the sound of Métis music. Born in 1940 in St. Vital, he became one of the most prolific Indigenous entertainers in Canadian broadcast history. He charted with Manitoba’s first rock and roll hit, She’s a Square, and went on to host and appear in over 500 television episodes.

“He’s an incredible Métis producer, television host, recording artist,” says McLeod. “He’s done it all.”

His signature Ovation guitar now hangs in the exhibit.

Harry Rusk, born on the trapline near Fort Nelson, became the first Indigenous artist to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. He contracted tuberculosis as a child and met Hank Snow in hospital — a chance encounter that changed everything. He taught himself guitar, moved to Edmonton, and recorded several hit country songs before his 1972 Opry debut.

“He broke a lot of barriers,” says McLeod. “He wrote stories about the North. He wrote stories about his daughter. He never wanted to record music about drinking — he had rules. And he loved gospel music as well.”

Rusk passed away in March 2024 at age 87.

Kelly Fraser, the bold Inuk pop artist from Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, began writing music at ten years old. Her sound mixed contemporary pop and hip hop with lyrics in both Inuktitut and English. She became known for using music to bridge cultures and open conversations about Inuit identity, mental health, and pride.

“She wanted to bring about understanding of who Inuit people are in her language and in her art,” says McLeod.

Fraser passed away in 2019, but her legacy of creative resistance lives on through the stories told in Speak Up!.

Dakhká Khwáan Dancers, based in Whitehorse, represent the rich traditions of Inland Tlingit people. Through performance, they carry forward songs, regalia, and stories that connect generations — blending movement, drumming, and language in a way that feels both ancient and urgent.

On June 21, Studio Bell celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day with free admission and two live performances by Beatrice Deer, traditional singer Norvin Eagle Speaker, grass dancer Takota Eagle Speaker, and fancy dancer Miracle Eagle Speaker will also perform. Showtimes are 10:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.

McLeod says the exhibit’s impact is most visible when young people walk through the doors.

“I’ve seen students come through, busloads of students,” he says. “And they’re taking it in, saying, I didn’t know there were so many incredible Indigenous artists who’ve done so much in this country. That’s why the exhibit exists — to highlight those voices.”

Speak Up! runs through June 2026 at Studio Bell.