Inez Jasper (née Point), also known as Inez, (born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian musician, whose music blends pop,

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, hip hop and traditional

First Nations music Indigenous music of Canada encompasses a wide variety of musical genres created by Aboriginal Canadians. Before European settlers came to what is now Canada, the region was occupied by many First Nations, including the West Coast Salish and Haid ...

. She is most noted as a two-time nominee for the

Juno Award for Aboriginal Album of the Year The Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year is an annual award presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the best album by an Indigenous Canadian artist or band. It was formerly known as Best Music of Aborigina ...

, in 2010 for her album ''Singsoulgirl'' and in 2014 for her album '' Burn Me Down''.

Biography

Inez Jasper was born and raised in

Chilliwack Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are numerous outdoor ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. She is of Sto:lo,

Ojibway The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

and

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

heritage. She is the daughter of Mark Point, a former Skowkale First Nation chief, and the niece of Steven Point, a former

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia The lieutenant governor of British Columbia () is the viceregal representative of the , in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The office of lieutenant governor is an office of the Crown and serves as a representative of the monarchy in ...

. She was educated as a registered nurse, and works as a community health nurse for Stó:lō Nation Health Services. She has two children, and in 2010 her husband Otis Jasper served as the chief of Soowahlie First Nation. She released her debut single "Sto:lo Strong" in 2005, before releasing the full-length album ''SingSoulGirl'' in January 2009. She toured extensively to support the album, and won awards at both the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and the

Western Canadian Music Awards The ''Western Canadian Music Awards'' (WCMAs) are an annual awards event for music in the western portion of Canada. The awards are provided by the Western Canada Music Alliance, which consists of six member music industry organizations from Br ...

. At the APCMAs, "Breathe" won Single of the Year, ''SingSoulGirl'' won Pop Album of the Year, and Jasper won Best New Artist. She subsequently released two non-album singles, "Make U Mine" in 2011 and "Dancin' on the Run" in 2013, before releasing her second album '' Burn Me Down'' in August 2013. The album again won the award for Pop Album of the Year at the APCMAs, and was again a Juno Award nominee for Aboriginal Album of the Year. Jasper was also named Best Producer/Engineer at the APCMAs in 2014. She was named a National Aboriginal Role Model by the

National Aboriginal Health Organization The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) (french: Organisation nationale de la santé autochtone (ONSA), link=no, iu, ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᓇᖕᒋᓐᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᕐᑲᑎ� ...

in 2008.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Guest appearances

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jasper, Inez 1981 births Living people 21st-century Canadian women singers 21st-century First Nations people Canadian women pop singers Canadian women singer-songwriters Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian pop singers First Nations musicians Musicians from British Columbia People from Chilliwack Sto:lo people First Nations women