IN OUR TONGUE PRESENTS: An evening of Music & Poetry
TO MARK national Indigenous history month
In Our Tongue is back this month with a stellar artist lineup to mark National Indigenous History Month 2025! Join us for a powerful evening of poetry, song, and storytelling featuring our headliner, Pop and R&B artist Alicia Kayley, as well as Patsea Griffin, and Doreen Stevens —three Indigenous artists whose work honour land, language, and legacy. Plus a super special introduction by youth poet Avery Jayne Stewart!
Experience truth-telling and reclamation through poetry, performance, and ancestral strength. This isn’t just any event—it’s a celebration of Indigenous Excellence! This event marks our fourth and final for this season, will we be seeing you??? And, as always, the artist bios and registration form follow the event details below.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday June 10th, 2025
Time: 7 - 9:00 PM EST
Location: The Origin Arts & Community Centre, 57 Lyndale Avenue, Ottawa (near Tunney’s Pasture bus/ LRT Station)
Cost: Free or Pay-What-You-Can ($10 suggested. Donation form follows registration form below)
How to attend? Scroll down to register to attend online or in-person with the form at the bottom of this page!
Artists
ALICIA KAYLEY
Headliner
Alicia Kayley is a Pop and R&B singer-songwriter with powerful and warm vocals. She is a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Algonquin and Tahltan Nation residing in Ottawa. Alicia holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University specializing in Classical voice and popular style songwriting.
Her most notable performances include singing the National Anthem at Parliament Hill during Canada Day’s 150th main stage event, the Grey Cup Conference held in Ottawa in 2017, and the Site Selection Ceremony for the Residential Schools National Monument on Parliament Hill in 2023. Alicia is taking the next step toward her music career by creating her debut album alongside Crystal Shawanda’s label based in Nashville. As a young Indigenous musician, Alicia plans to provide Anishinabe women with a voice in mainstream music.
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Alicia Kayley est une auteure-compositrice-interprète Pop R&B à la voix puissante et chaleureuse. Elle est une artiste autochtone contemporaine de la Nation Algonquine et Tahltan vivant à Ottawa. Alicia est titulaire d'une licence de musique de l'université Carleton, spécialisée dans la voix classique et l'écriture de chansons populaires.
Elle a notamment chanté l'hymne national sur la colline du Parlement lors de l'événement principal du 150e anniversaire de la fête du Canada, lors de la conférence de la Coupe Grey tenue à Ottawa en 2017, et lors de la cérémonie de sélection du site du Monument national des pensionnats indiens sur la colline du Parlement en 2023. Alicia franchit une nouvelle étape dans sa carrière musicale en créant son premier album avec le label de Crystal Shawanda, basé à Nashville. En tant que jeune musicienne autochtone, Alicia prévoit de donner aux femmes anishinabées une voix dans la musique grand public.
Patsea Griffin
Artist. Beadworker. Published Poet. Drummer. Community supporter. Knowledge seeker. Stargazer. Dreamer.
Born and raised on her ancestral land along the Kichi Sibi (Ottawa River) on unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin territory, Patsea is special blend of many bloodlines including Ontario Métis. She is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario and Chair of the Ottawa Region Metis Council. She loves local history and is a genealogical researcher on the executive board of the Pontiac Genealogical Society. She loves telling her story through her poetry and helping others connect to theirs.
Patsea has facilitated the weekly beading circle Beading with Patsea! for over five years. She enjoys creating short films with her poetry in the forefront. She is the founder of the Thunderbird Sisters Collective, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting, highlighting, and sharing the art and skills of Indigenous and ally artists. She loves to share her skills and knowledge. Her beadwork and porcupine quill earrings are on display at the Ottawa Art Gallery and Chapeau Regional Gallery. Patsea replenishes her spirit by escaping to the countryside and lives life to the fullest! Quote: “My art keeps me connected to the land and all my relations in the spirit world”.
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Artiste. Perleuse. Poète publié. Batteuse. Soutien à la communauté. Chercheuse de connaissances. Observatrice des étoiles. Rêveuse.
Née et élevée sur sa terre ancestrale, le long de la Kichi Sibi (rivière des Outaouais), sur un territoire algonquin non cédé, Patsea est un mélange spécial de plusieurs lignées, dont celle des Métis de l'Ontario. Elle est citoyenne de la Nation métisse de l'Ontario et présidente du Conseil des Métis de la région d'Ottawa. Elle aime l'histoire locale et fait de la recherche généalogique au sein du conseil exécutif de la Pontiac Genealogical Society. Elle aime raconter son histoire à travers sa poésie et aider les autres à se connecter à la leur.
Depuis plus de cinq ans, Patsea anime le cercle hebdomadaire de perlage Beading with Patsea ! Elle aime créer des courts-métrages en mettant sa poésie au premier plan. Elle est la fondatrice du Thunderbird Sisters Collective, une organisation à but non lucratif qui se consacre au soutien, à la mise en valeur et au partage de l'art et des compétences des artistes autochtones et alliés. Elle aime partager ses compétences et ses connaissances. Son travail de perles et ses boucles d'oreilles en piquants de porc-épic sont exposés à la Galerie d'art d'Ottawa et à la Galerie régionale Chapeau. Patsea se ressource en s'évadant à la campagne et vit pleinement sa vie ! Citation : Mon art me permet de rester en contact avec la terre et toutes mes relations dans le monde des esprits.
Follow them / Suivez-les;
Thunderbird Sisters Collective | IG | FB | Artist Coalition |
DOREEN STEVENS
Doreen Stevens is a local Algonquin artist from Kitiganzibi, Quebec. Her spirit name Anamitagize-Odaying means “One who speaks with the heart.” She is an actress, singer-songwriter, spoken word poet, and visual artist. She has been featured in various films and performances throughout Europe, Australia, the U.S. and Canada.
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Doreen Stevens est une artiste algonquine locale de Kitiganzibi, au Québec. Son nom spirituel, Anamitagize-Odaying, signifie « Celle qui parle avec le cœur ». Elle est actrice, auteure-compositrice-interprète, poète de la parole et artiste visuelle. Elle a participé à divers films et spectacles en Europe, en Australie, aux États-Unis et au Canada.
Follow them / Suivez-les;
Artist Coalition | NAC Bio | Fb | LinkedIn |
Registration form
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Recall...
Event Date: Tuesday June 10th, 2025
Doors Open: 6:30 PM EST
Show start Time: 7:00 PM EST
Expected end time: 9:00 PM EST
Attending In-Person?
For In-Person:
Location: The Origin Arts & Community Centre, 57 Lyndale Avenue, Ottawa (near Tunney’s Pasture bus/ LRT Station)
Parking Note: Street parking should be available, on a first come first serve basis. Please time your travels accordingly.
Expect: Once you're here, there will be someone stationed by the door to greet you and sign you in!
Covid-19 Safety:Please note we encourage the audience to wear masks (except when eating/drinking or on stage) throughout the event for the safety of everyone attending. Thank you for understanding.
For Online:
Click the following button or copy and paste the URL below!
https://www.youtube.com/live/GGBGeD_8cCE