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Rebecca Thomas

Rebecca Thomas is a Mi’kmaw woman living in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia). She is the daughter of a residential school survivor whose family is rooted in Lennox Island First Nation, Prince Edward Island. Rebecca is outspoken when it comes to confronting Indigenous stereotypes, as well as educating her colleagues and the general public about cultural safety and integrity. Most of her work focuses on the relationships between Canada’s First Peoples, their relationship with the federal government, and how First Nations’ people are perceived publicly. Rebecca is on a life long journey to promote understanding and empathy for Indigenous people and marginalized communities. Rebecca, Halifax’s current Poet Laureate, will be performing her Spoken Word poetry that tackles issues of colonization and Indigenous worldview from the point of view rarely heard, a Mi’kmaw woman.

Photo Credit: Paul Vienneau

Reeny Smith

Reeny Smith is a talented, 25 year-old R&B/Pop artist from North Preston, Nova Scotia who has been singing and playing the piano since the age of five. She credits her inspiration for music from time spent with family and friends at her local church, Saint Thomas Baptist, where she plays the piano and is a member and director of three choirs. In February of 2015, she opened for Grammy Award Winner Lisa Fischer at The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax and received a standing ovation at the sold out concert. Reeny won Artist of the Year at the 2015 ANSMA Awards and followed that up by being selected to attend a songwriters camp put on by Grammy Award winner Gordie Sampson where her single “Last Call” was created. She then went on to win the 2015 Casino Nova Scotia Artist in Residence competition and followed that up with the Music Nova Scotia 2015 African Nova Scotian Artist of The Year. In November 2015, Reeny was chosen to perform a tribute to both Portia White and Rita MacNeil for their induction into the Nova Scotia Music Hall of Fame where she once again blew the audience away and received three standing ovations! Reeny’s big powerful voice and contemporary R&B/Pop leave audiences wanting more after they experience seeing and hearing her. In the fall of 2017, she will be releasing a new single to radio followed by the release of her second EP.

opening Gala

The Wabanaki Confederacy Singers

Wabanaki Confederacy are a Northern Powwow styled singing group based out of Eastern Canada. This group strives to blend a traditional style of Mi’kmaq singing with a more current style of Northern Powwow. Wabanaki translated roughly means “People of the First Light.” The name of their group was chosen out of respect for their ancestors who suffered and strived to fight for their existence and life as they know it today. Wabanaki Confederacy is a group made up of family men who take pride in promoting their eastern tribe cultural teachings, while learning and sharing other teachings from tribes throughout the globe. Their goal: creating more cultural awareness of their teachings while still maintaining an inspiring and fun atmosphere through song and dance. Although they are a newer singing group, their singers have over 15 years of experience singing powwow throughout Canada and the United States.

Hubert Francis

J. Hubert Francis hails from the band Eaglefeather from Elsipogtog Reserve. Eaglefeather’s last cd “Message From A Drum” received Juno, East Coast Music, and American Music Award nominations. Their International award winning rock group has been led by Hubert since 1990, combining a unique sound of traditional chants and contemporary rock. Hubert is currently recording a single titled “Voices, Idle No More”, which will be released soon. He will be performing one of his songs and leading a prayer at the Prismatic 2017 Opening Gala.