Arts
Paving the way Angel Baribeau uses their music to help the youth by Patrick Quinn | Photos provided by David Hodges
C
ree singer/songwriter Angel Baribeau is back with a second single and video from the hit EP, For Those I Love(d). “Wish We Were Older” has already reached number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown and its music video amassed over 33,000 views in less than two weeks.
While the powerful pop song belies its melancholy with propulsive energy, the video tells a tale of love and loss passed through generations. Depicting an older woman reminiscing about her love of another woman, a stirring montage illustrates joyful moments of their relationship with beautiful shots of summertime in Montreal and the surrounding countryside. “I wanted to provide positive imagery for anybody who watches the music video, because I didn’t grow up with a lot of healthy representation of what Indigenous queer people are,” Baribeau told the Nation. “That’s kind of my main goal, work toward providing positive representation for youth in Eeyou Istchee and youth in general.” While Baribeau now openly identifies as non-binary and prefers to be 20 the Nation March 12, 2021 www.nationnews.ca
referred to by they/them pronouns, they have discussed the importance of music in their life to express their struggles as an Indigenous, two-spirited person. It has been a journey of self-acceptance for the 20-year-old artist but Baribeau is thankful that society is becoming more open to diversity. “The world I grew up in is not the same we’re growing up in now!” Baribeau exclaimed. “I’m super happy to see there’s a lot more dialogue in my communities about queer, two-spirit folk. If you don’t have space, then creating space. I definitely think our collective consciousness as Eeyouch/Eenouch is broadening to once again include folks like me.” Baribeau explained the video concept in a meeting with director Patrick Shannon, cinematographer Alexandre Fortes and
