“Ogichidaa” Song Collaboration with Joel Syrette
“Four-man unit the only known Ojibwe speakers to exchange indecipherable intel on the battlefield in France.”
CBC Radio Web Story
“What [Ogichidaa] represents is somebody who is willing to put their life on the line for the betterment of their own community.”
Soo Today
“Despite the historical weight of the subject matter, both men say they wanted the song to focus on resilience rather than tragedy.”
Sault Star
Ogichidaa
Song collaboration
Joel Syrette of Batchewana First Nation and I recently released the song "Ogichidaa" (warrior). This project honours the legacy and crucial contributions of the Second World War Code Talkers from Garden River First Nation. It places a special focus on a letter sent from the front lines in France by Joel’s great-uncle, George Minisino Pine, to his sister Hilda, who was a student at the Shingwauk Indian Residential School. The song explores the theme of resilience by speaking to what the letter could not: how George was using Ojibway to assist the war effort while Hilda was strictly forbidden to speak it at the school.
Joel—who currently serves as an Aboriginal Lead Teacher for the Algoma District School Board (ADSB)—and I met through our involvement in the board's Native Studies program. We have been sharing our passion for local history since 2021 through performances at the Ermatinger Clergue Old Stone House and a podcast series on theborderline.ca, exploring themes that emerge from songs on my album, Voices from the Gathering Place.
Because of the historical importance of this story, the song was recently featured on both Michigan's NPR and Ontario's CBC Radio.
I hope you enjoy this unique listening experience.