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Kingston, Ontario – Multi-instrumentalist, music producer and social justice activist Shuggie Brown, aka Hugh Christopher Brown, releases a new original song, “Ravensong,” penned exclusively for the purpose of helping to raise funds for the Beaver Lake Cree Nation’s tar sands devastation global crowd (“Grrowd”) funding project. “Ravensong”, written and performed by Shuggie Brown, and featuring Beaver Lake Cree Nation member Crystal Lameman, is available as an immediate download to every supporter who pledges a donation of € 5 or more.
Please watch lyric video for “Ravensong” created by Juno-Award-winning filmmaker Sean Michael Turrell.
As stated on the project campaign, the indigenous people of Beaver Lake Cree Nation live on the beautiful territories of Alberta in Canada. But their homeland is on the front lines of destructive tarsands mining. In order to stop this industrial savagery on their lands, they have taken the Canadian government and the province of Alberta to court in a landmark case. Your donation will help them to stop the massive destruction of boreal forest and pollution of precious drinking water for humans and animals.
Brown explains his involvement: “After an event in Ottawa to support the Beaver Lake Cree in their legalfightagainstthe thousands of oil permits violating their treaty, I posed a simple question to Crystal Lameman; ‘what areThe Tar sands?’ and so my song, “Ravensong” began.
We denigrate what we exploit, and naming is the most basic method. By restoring the names of this precious, irreplaceable part of our planet, perhaps we can helpto restore ourselves from the countless abuses committed against and by us in the name of economic stability and national security.
The indigenous consciousness will not be quelled by security bills or economic threat. It will ultimately show us howto back off from the perils we have put upon the earth and ourselves. Witnessing Crystal Lameman, one is brought into the understanding of all that is at stake; through the truth and her courage to speak it.”
Lameman emphasizes the global scope of this case: “As indigenous peoples we are standing up to protect the land, water and our collective future, not only for us but forthe very existence of the human race. Please take a stand.”
Please consider a donation of €5 or more and receive “Ravensong”
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Beaver Cree Lake Nation’s legal case and Grrrowd crowd funding project, please read press release here.
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