A Tribe Called Red's Ian Campeau shares how success in music has given him a voice on cultural issues

A Tribe Called Red's music has been described as "powwow-step", combining traditional First Nations powwow music with dubstep elements. Anishinaabe musician Ian "DJ NDN" Campeau said that this melding of genres allows to "draw people both way through the door," by introducing electronic music to the Indigenous community and powwow music to non-Indigenous listeners. 

"[We're] showcasing our culture in a way that's typically not done. A lot of times, Indigenous music tends to be a lot of hard music— a lot of rap, blues, country music, which is all sad music. We're able to showcase our music in a way that is happy," Ian told Candy. 

[We're] showcasing our culture in a way that's typically not done.- Ian 'DJ NDN' Campeau

For Ian, National Aboriginal Day is a celebration of Indigeneity—of being first, of being different from the rest of Canada.

"I think that's what a lot of those particular culturally-specific days are for a lot of marginalized communities. It's really important that we have a day where we're able to celebrate our uniqueness."

But ultimately, Ian said that he cannot wait until there isn't just the one day to celebrate Indigenous culture. In the meantime, A Tribe Called Red will continue the constant celebration—with their music. 

Watch the official music video for A Tribe Called Red's new single, Stadium Pow Wow: