☀️ Solstice Songs – National Indigenous People’s Day Concert | Shipyards Amphitheatre
The Town of Collingwood invited the community to come together in celebration of National Indigenous People’s Day with a free concert down at the Shipyards Amphitheatre.
We all enjoyed an evening filled with live performances from celebrated Indigenous artists while taking part in a meaningful celebration of culture, reconciliation, and community… with a few tears.
Jillian Morris
I am Haudenosaunee, of Kanien’kéha ancestry — both of my parents are from Six Nations, and I carry that inheritance into everything I create.
I am a poet and essayist, a facilitator, and a consultant. My work lives at the intersection of story, healing, and truth, and it moves between disciplines in ways that don’t always fit neatly into a single description. That’s intentional. I don’t melt easily, so don’t bother trying to add me to your pot.
I hold an undergraduate degree in Public Administration and Indigenous Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University. That education deepened what I already knew from lived experience, that governance is relationship, that policy shapes lives, and that Indigenous philosophy remains relevant.
I facilitate storytelling workshops and sharing circles for communities, organizations, and institutions across multiple contexts. I do research and consultation work on Indigenous topics and authentic representation, supporting municipal governments in policy development, and advising productions in theatre, film, and television. I am a contributor to Feather Carriers: Leadership for Life Promotion, an organization dedicated to Indigenous life promotion and the prevention of premature death in our communities. This work is close to my heart.
I served as Poet Laureate of the Town of Collingwood, Ontario, a role that gave rise to my Yonnhe’on:we Indigenous Arts Series, a year-long program that brought Indigenous arts and storytelling into the community. My theatre short The Curse of Stolen Seeds debuted at Native Earth Performing Arts’ Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival 38 in Toronto.
In 2025, with support from the Ontario Arts Council, I published my debut poetry collection born, genes, and quash, a gathering of poems written during my time as Poet Laureate, exploring identity, ancestry, land, and what it means to belong to something older than yourself.
I believe story is medicine. I believe telling your story, in whatever form it takes, is an honouring of self and community, it’s always liberating, and always necessary to understand where you are going.
If you’re looking for someone to work with your community, advise your production, support your organization, or simply share words that foster curiosity and examination, I’d be glad to hear from you.
Lisa Marie (LM) is a singer/songwriter who is apart of Atikameksheng Anishinawbek. LM does her best to live her life unapologetically. Daily affirmations like “You are amazing in your colossal presence”; keeps the shame at bay from the inter generational effects of colonialism. She embraces her body, and creativity. She wants every Indigenous girl/woman/femme to know that they are significant and worthy of all the love in this world.
http://www.odeminkwe.com/bio.html
Red N’ Blue
Red N’ Blue is a collaboration of three singer-songwriters, showcasing how harmony arises from disparate voices working together.
Myiingan Minonaakwhe (Jeff Monague), Heather McIntyre and Michael Martyn write and perform songs in the name of Reconciliation between the Indigenous people of Canada and the non-indigenous population.
Myiingan is from Beausoleil First Nation; Heather is a member of Georgina Island First Nation living in Collingwood; Michael is from French-Irish extraction and calls Orillia home. All have been writing, recording, and performing original songs for over 30 years. The three came together in May of 2025 and have been performing across Ontario ever since.
Their songs bring together qualities of activism, history, confessional, and the human condition across cultural boundaries, real and imagined.
Red N’ Blue will be appearing on the Community Village Stage on both Saturday and Sunday of Mariposa Weekend.
JD Crosstown is a singer-songwriter and guitarist whose music weaves together the roots of folk, country, and blues. Hailing from Neyaashiinigmiing (Chippewas of Nawash Territory) in Ontario, Crosstown picked up the guitar at an early age, nurtured by the sounds and stories of his family and community. What began as a local passion has grown into a lifelong artistic journey, leading to performances across Canada and Europe with a growing reputation on both sides of the Atlantic.
Crosstown’s live performances are marked by their emotional intimacy and technical skill.Whether performing solo or collaborating with fellow musicians, JD Crosstown continues to build a reputation as a compelling storyteller and skilled musician. His work is grounded in tradition, yet unafraid to explore new sonic territory—making him an artist to watch in the evolving landscape of contemporary music.
In May 2025, Crosstown released his debut full-length album, Takin’ My Time, which features 11 original tracks including “Wildflower,” and “Grey Goose.” Available now on any and all streaming platforms, it should be noted that you can find it all on Bandcamp, in its highest fidelity for a just small price, not only will it sound better but it also helps support the artist directly.
June 27th – Toronto Jazz Fest (Sidewalk sessions)
July 3-5th – Mariposa Folk Fest, Orilla ON
July 10-11th – Northern Lights Festival Boreal, Sudbury ON
July 12th – Four Winds Music Fest, Durham ON
July 18th – CANJAM Fest, Neyaashiinigmiing ON
