Jerry Alfred (born 1955 in

Mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

) is a

Northern Tutchone The Northern Tutchone are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living mainly in the central Yukon in Canada. Language and culture The Northern Tutchone language, originally spoken by the Northern Tutchone p ...

musician living in Pelly Crossing,

. He received a 1996 Juno Award for his recording ''ETSI Shon'' (Grandfather Song) in the category Aboriginal Recording of the Year. His music was featured as part of a Native American photo exhibit at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta.

Early life

Alfred was born in the community of

in September 1955 into traditional life and speaking the

language, a skill which he kept alive in spite of having been sent to residential English speaking schools at the age of five. Alfred was born into the Crow Clan and inherited the title of "Keeper of the Songs" from his father. This position gave him the responsibility of collecting traditional songs and performing at ceremonial events of his people, the

Selkirk First Nation The Selkirk First Nation (Hucha Hudan people) is a First Nation self-government in the Canadian territory, Yukon. Its original population centre was the trading post of Fort Selkirk, Yukon along the Yukon River, but most of its citizens now live in ...

. Alfred's position also involved his representing the clan at potlatches, or meetings with the broader Yukon Aboriginal community. He was named "Keeper of the Songs" at birth, an honorary title which he has made into a career, updating traditional Tutchone music by adding twentieth century Western influences. Alfred's musical training began when he was placed in a choir while at the residential schools. His parents bought him his first guitar when he was seven, and he began learning in earnest in his teens, probably due to the influence of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, an influence which still lives in Alfred's music today. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Alfred played a large role in negotiations with the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

over the Selkirk people's

Land Claim A land claim is defined as "the pursuit of recognized territorial ownership by a group or individual". The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include aboriginal land claims, A ...

, which culminated in an agreement in 1995. In 1996, he received a Juno Award as Jerry Alfred & The Medicine Beat for Best Music for Aboriginal Canada Recording. In 1994, Alfred's father made a special effort to engage Alfred in his people's songs again, and when his father died, Alfred was inspired to release a record, 1994's "Etsi Shon", or "Grandfather Song", which served the dual purpose of keeping alive the music and the language of the Selkirk people. Alfred has since released two other albums, "Nendaa" (Go Back) in 1996, and Kehlonn in 1998, with his band, Medicine Beat. Today, Alfred hopes to pass the position of Song Keeper to his eldest daughter, Cenjeya ("Cute one"), who along with his youngest daughter, Saanuwa ("precious one"), he is teaching the traditions and music.

Discography

Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat (1994) ''Etsi Shon: Grandfather Song'' (Whitehourse, Independent production by Jerry Alfred). Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat (1996) ''Nendaä: Go Back'' (Whitehorse, Etsi Shon Productions) Caribou Records 7 7863 105962 8. Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat (1998) ''Kehlonn'' (Whitehorse, Jerry Alfred) Caribou Records 7 78631 98302 0.

References

;Citations

External links

biography
from Festival Distribution, Inc. {{DEFAULTSORT:Alfred, Jerry Date of birth missing (living people) 1955 births Living people 20th-century First Nations people Canadian folk singer-songwriters Canadian male singer-songwriters First Nations musicians Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year winners Musicians from Yukon Red House Records artists Tutchone people

Early life

Discography

See also

References

External links