She Carries the Song

Celeigh Cardinal (Cree), Mimi O’Bonsawin (Abenaki), and Lacey Hill (Oneida/Mohawk) — come together in this intimate and moving performance that weaves voice, story, and song into a shared circle of strength. Rooted in their distinct Nations and musical styles, these artists carry the songs of their ancestors, their homelands, and their own lived experience as women, culture bearers, and changemakers.

Enjoy all three artists together on stage, joined by a shared house band. The evening flows between collaborative songs and individual spotlights, with each artist performing 3–4 solo pieces that showcase their distinct voice, story, and spirit.

With soaring harmonies, honest storytelling, and deep reverence for tradition, She Carries the Song is both a celebration and a reclamation — a gathering of spirit, resilience, and connection.

Celeigh Cardinal

An award-winning Cree singer-songwriter whose rich, soulful voice and deeply honest storytelling have earned her national and international acclaim. Her third studio album, Boundless Possibilities (2024), marks a transformative moment in her career—an intimate journey through grief, spiritual growth, and personal sovereignty.

The album’s luminous centrepiece, “Light of the Moon,” earned her the 2024 Songwriter of the Year Award at the Western Canadian Music Awards and helped propel the record to wider recognition. Boundless Possibilities received two JUNO nominations in 2025—for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year—alongside two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations for English and Indigenous Songwriter of the Year. It was also submitted in the first round of Grammy voting.

Each song on the album offers a raw and graceful reflection on healing, crafted to resonate with the body, mind, and spirit. The result is a body of work that both comforts and empowers, offering connection for anyone navigating loss, resilience, or rebirth.

Celeigh’s earlier albums also received critical praise. Her 2017 debut Everything and Nothing at All won Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards. Her follow-up, Stories from a Downtown Apartment (2019), earned her a JUNO Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2020.

A compelling live performer, Celeigh has toured extensively across North America and Europe. Her music has been featured in film and television, and she has represented Canada on global stages, including Expo 2020 Dubai, Ireland’s Your Roots Are Showing, UK Americana, and Germany’s Reeperbahn Festival.

With Boundless Possibilities, Celeigh Cardinal affirms her place as one of Canada’s most fearless and luminous Indigenous voices, offering songs that heal, uplift, and transcend.

Lacey Hill

Lacey Hill is a Six Nations Oneida singer-songwriter whose music blends soul, folk, and undeniable heart. A self-taught artist and a rare voice in her community, Hill has steadily built a career rooted in authenticity, releasing a trilogy of deeply personal albums and performing across Canada and internationally.

Her latest record, 528 Vol II: The Moon (2022), continues the journey she began with 528 Vol I (2013) and M (2017), showcasing her growth as a songwriter and storyteller. Each album is a reflection of lived experience, self-discovery, and spiritual connection, infused with Lacey’s signature warmth and honesty. Her work is both healing and bold, offering audiences a rare blend of emotional depth and melodic beauty.

Lacey began her musical path performing backup vocals for local Six Nations bands, but soon emerged as one of the few female artists from her community writing and releasing original music on a consistent and independent basis. Between albums, she brings her songs to audiences across Turtle Island and beyond, with notable performances in Australia, Edinburgh, New York, and across central and western Canada.

In 2022 and 2023, she continued to rise with performances that included opening for Sarah Harmer at the Niagara Amphitheatre, showcasing at Folk Music Ontario, performing at the Canada Summer Games, and mentoring emerging artists at SongStudio Live in Toronto. She also appeared at Sobeys’ Day of Reconciliation event and continues to inspire others through motivational speaking, including her keynote, Honouring Your Bundle.

Lacey’s artistry extends beyond music. She starred in the 2022 comedy web series NDNs on the Airwaves and contributed as both a performer and collaborator in Truth and Illusion, a theatrical work produced by Young People’s Theatre in Toronto. Whether through song, storytelling, or stage, her work is deeply rooted in her Indigenous identity and a commitment to creative exploration.

With her unmistakable voice, soul-soothing presence, and growing body of multidisciplinary work, Lacey Hill continues to carve out space as a powerful Indigenous artist, offering music and stories that connect, uplift, and transcend borders.

Mimi O’Bonsawin

A contemporary roots singer-songwriter whose music flows from the land she comes from. Born in Northeastern Ontario and of French Canadian and Abenaki descent, Mimi is a member of Odanak First Nation. Her songs—grounded in rhythm, story, and spirit—embrace the beauty of nature, identity, and connection.

Blending acoustic instrumentation with pop-infused melodies and layered percussion, Mimi’s sound is both ethereal and earthy. Her lyrics carry the listener inward, while her live performances—often shared with her husband and percussionist Ryan Schurman—invite dancing, joy, and deep emotional resonance. Together, they create a full-band experience in an intimate duo setting.

In 2024, she released Live in Concert, her first-ever live album, capturing highlights from the Willow release performance. That same year, she toured internationally, including a return to France and a run of dates in Australia, with performances at the Woodford Folk Festival and Cygnet Folk Festival. Back home, Mimi continued touring across Canada, performing at festivals and theatres and opening for acclaimed artists such as Aysanabee, The Good Lovelies, The East Pointers, DJ Shub, and Beverly Glenn-Copeland.

In September 2023, Mimi released Boréale, her first full-length French-language album, a tender tribute to her roots and francophone heritage, also recorded with Schurman.

Her recognition at home matches Mimi’s growing presence as an international touring artist. Between 2023 and 2024, she earned nominations from the Folk Music Ontario Awards, Capital Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, Northern Ontario Music & Film Awards, Native American Music Awards, and Prix Trille Or. Both Willow and Live in Concert were also considered for Grammy nominations.

A past recipient of the 2019 Indigenous Music Award for Best Pop Album, Mimi continues to sow seeds with her songs, offering grounded, vibrant, and healing music that reflects the land, language, and love that shape her life and art.