Analysis Of Gordon Downie's Goodnight Attawapiskat

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Gordon Downie, a Canadian famous singer, songwriter, and activist says, “Music brings people together. So, my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in” (Maclean’s, 2017). He wrote many songs that the way he loves Canada, and encourage people especially Canadians to unite. Goodnight Attawapiskat is one of his many famous songs that is about Indigenous people who live around Attawapiskat in the northern part of Ontario. Goodnight Attawapiskat is “politically charged song” (Hipmuseum, n.d.), and “is a fundraising effort for the Native reserve of Attawapiskat in the far north.” There was a great outrage in Canada several years ago because the government has not provided funding for the Indigenous peoples, …show more content…

Downie believed that Canada must eliminate the Indian Act that is racial discrimination. He always strongly supports Indigenous rights. In 2016, during the nationally broadcast celebration of The Tragically Hip, Downie openly avowed in front of thousands of people that Trudeau is the first prime minister who will fulfill the rights of the Aboriginal Peoples (Hipmuseum, n.d.). Hopefully, it seems to be true, because the prime minister Justin Trudeau show a positive signal toward the Indigenous societies. According to the CBC news, Trudeau declared to the First Nations leaders in Gatineau, Quebec that he drew up his plan for Indigenous people. He mentions that he would fulfill the promises he made during the election campaign, such as commencing a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, making education investments for Indigenous people. He also promises that to raise the 2% cap on funding for Indigenous peoples programs, enforcing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and abolishing all one-sided laws that enforced on Indigenous people (Mas, 2015). Within a year, the prime minister begins a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and invest $2.6 billion over four years for First Nations education (Bryden, 2016). The other promises are still

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