Craig is a Métis musician and scholar whose music and videos draw attention to Indigenous histories and worldviews. He teaches in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary and previously served as Director of the International Indigenous Studies Program. Craig received the inaugural Excellence in the Arts Award at the 2023 Métis Recognition Awards. In 2021/2022 he was awarded a fellowship with Evolve to Innovate. In 2021 the Calgary Herald featured Songs of Justice among Ten Notable Albums from Calgary-area musicians and recognized Craig as a “Compelling Calgarian.” Call This Land, a song about the naming of Manitoba, reached #8 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. Walk With Me, a song that celebrates the Lac Ste Anne pilgrimage, was played during the Papal Visit to Lac Ste Anne.
Craig’s projects available as open-access educational resources include the Songs of Justice Project released in August 2021 and the Animal Kinship Project released in April 2024. The Songs of Justice Project is a collection of songs and videos that challenge the apologetics of colonialism while celebrating the perseverance and goodness of Indigenous pathways and teachings. Five songs draw attention to the historical and current significance, both spiritual and political, of Louis Riel and the Métis people. The Animal Kinship Project is a collection of songs and videos that honour the impact and presence of animals, highlighting Indigenous understandings of relationality with animals. Two songs address the historical slaughters of animals, the plains bison in the late-19th century and Inuit sled dogs from 1950-1975. Craig hopes that his projects will serve as educational and motivational resources and contribute in a good way to Truth and Reconciliation.
With the addition of the free lesson plan focused on the Plains Bison, Craig expands the Animal Kinship Project by providing teachers with context and history in a way that can be easily integrated into subjects such as Social Studies, English Language Arts, Science, Ecology, Art, Music, and more.
Have questions about how to best integrate these topics into your teaching, how to book Craig for in-person presentations, or questions about Craig's projects?
Reach out to Craig directly here!
