Raven Reid’s new album, Waiting For Change, is a raw and powerful reflection of her life as an Indigenous woman. Touching on addiction, discrimination, and survival, the Yellowknife-born artist channels her journey into eight moving tracks, including “The Government Song” and “For Kelly.”
With producer Marc Merilainen (NADJIWAN), Raven pairs her hard-hitting lyrics with evocative arrangements, reclaiming her voice after years of silence as a Sixties Scoop survivor. Now based in Saskatoon, she continues to inspire through her music and storytelling, sharing truths that promote reflection and healing.
We spoke with Raven about the stories behind Waiting For Change and her mission to spark transformation through song.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Tansi, my name is Raven Reid, I’m a sixties scoop folk artist and my family comes from Mikisew Cree First Nations in Alberta.
The title of your album, Waiting For Change, speaks to the anticipation of transformation. Can you tell us what kind of change you hope your music brings, both for yourself and for your listeners?
My album Waiting for Change is inspired by my life as an Indigenous woman living under the oppression in Canada. I’m hoping that by giving a voice to certain indigenous issues and my own experiences will not only heal my generational traumas but will also help others find ways to heal. I hope it brings light to the darkness so we can all find a better way to co-exist on our beautiful land, that we all share.
Being raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and now living in Saskatoon, how have your experiences in these places influenced the music you create? Is there a particular aspect of your hometown or community that has left a lasting impact on your art?
After I was stolen from my family in the NWT, I was moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan where the racism and oppression were very evident. I lived with an adoptive parent who was terribly abusive and the trauma of being torn from my original family and home community continued throughout my childhood and adulthood. The song Bruises talks about childhood trauma and how I couldn’t tell anyone about it.
Prince Albert was a hard northern town in which to grow up. When I turned 18, I was thrown out of this adopted home by the adoptive mother who basically said “You’re not really my kid, I don’t get compensation for you so you need to leave”. I’ve been on my own since and sort of moved from place to place, wandering and looking for a home.
I moved to Saskatoon after I found out I was going to have my son. Racism was still rampant around that time and we lived in the hood. I worked so hard to keep me and my two kids together after we were abandoned by the father of my children. I was a care aide for years before I could work in music full-time. A song I wrote called A Johnny Cash Night was written after a woman was shot and killed in the parking lot of our apartment building. I thought “Saskatoon is rank but not as rank as PA!”. Thinking about the times I fought addictions to alcohol and drugs, and all the trauma addiction brought into my life.
I think Saskatoon is a beautiful city but in terms of oppression and racism, we have a long way to grow. People are still dying on the church steps in the winter, I still see our people living traumatic lives, homeless on the streets. I hope that if my music gets me somewhere, I hope to help my community in good ways.
Working with producer Marc Merilainen, how did the collaboration shape the sound and message of Waiting For Change? Were there any particular production decisions that helped bring your vision to life?
Working with Marc Merilainen has opened all new doors for me and I’ve been so blessed to have Merilainen Music Inc. as a team. When I first met Marc I was taking an Indigenous Songwriters course through SaskMusic and I sang a song called For Kelly, without realizing that Marc was Kelly Fraser’s producer also. Kelly and I became friends over social media and always cheered each other on. I was so proud of her and so heartbroken when she had passed away that I had to write this song.
Indigenous Communities have high rates of suicide, when I was younger I went through suicidal attempts and dealt with severe depression, so this song was my way of trying to deal with my friend passing away and trying to tell people that they’re not alone if they’re hurting too. I’m still hurting from Kelly’s passing, lots of people are.
Laura and Marc took me out for dinner at Earl’s Restaurant and we talked about possibly signing me on as an artist. I was so excited and grateful. I travelled to Toronto that following November and we recorded 10 original songs in 3 days. It was amazing.
Marc knew that the lyrics were what’s most important so he kept the recordings simple and embellished with folk Americana sounds of fiddle and slide guitar. I absolutely love the album and am humbled by the fact that my music and my lyrics are put together in the best way possible.
In your lyrics, you openly tackle difficult subjects like addiction, domestic violence, and loss. How do you hope these songs will resonate with other Indigenous people or anyone who has faced similar challenges?
Sometimes it’s hard to speak the truth, sometimes it’s hard to listen to the truth but the truth is always necessary. And that is what I keep in mind when I write difficult to listen to songs. I try to speak the truth in the best way I know how and I feel like music helped me get out of a lot of trauma and trouble over the years. I’m hoping that Indigenous people will see that we are resilient and yes we carry generational trauma but we also carry generational triumphs too. We are what our ancestors prayed and fought so hard for. I hope that my music brings hope, and gives a voice to the ones who were silenced, for the ones who are still hurting. I hope that the rest of the world realizes that we are all human, and that we need each other. We are all connected.
What is next for you after the release of Waiting For Change? Are there any upcoming projects or goals you’re particularly excited about, and what do you envision for your musical journey moving forward?
I’ve been writing since I was six years old, starting off with short stories and poetry. When I taught myself to play guitar my poetry and stories turned very easily into song lyrics, so I have a lot of music to record still. I sure hope Marc is getting ready for the next album!
I recently was a part of Reverie – CBC Indigenous Music Residency and I wrote a piece called 215. I’m looking forward to releasing that project and many more. I’m just getting started, world!! Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of my music journey, thus far.