Grizzly Bear Town
“Throughout the immaculately produced and played album a clear sense of space and time is evoked …this is an exceptional album”
“We make music about place, spirit, culture and laws, enwrapped in stunning guitar, sax & flute, expressed in the ancient Haida language.”
Released in 2017, the heart of this recording is in the expression of Haida language lyrics in a contemporary setting. The project bridges cultures, respectfully blending ancient knowledge with contemporary music.
Terri-Lynn brings her lyrics and melody together with Bill Henderson (Chilliwack) and Claire Lawrence, who join in singing and providing the instrumentation.
"I like to think of the sound as 'cutting-edge ancient'"
-Terri-Lynn
The songs illustrate Indigenous culture, including Haida stewardship and spiritual concepts. Some of the songs contain new lyrics written about Supernatural Beings or crests in states of transformation. Terri-Lynn was fortunate to work with elders and fluent Haida speakers to translate lyrics for original compositions, from English to Haida.
Respecting the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the music propels the conversation about past and future, responsibility and legacy. The songs illustrate aspects of Haida culture, including Supernatural Beings such as Cedar Sister, Landslide Lady and Canoe Song, spirituality, and indigenous laws. The album strives to highlight the endangered Haida language and music from the Northwest Coast of Canada.
“This song - after which we named the album - is a return to my ancestral origins, my maternal great-grandmother and her birth village, Grizzly Bear Town. It is also about finding peace with the history of colonization—on both sides of that colonial experience—to nourish and sustain future generations. A meditation.
Grizzly Bear Town is another name for my ancestral village of Skedans, the village of my maternal great-grandmother, Susan Williams. T’iis Kwaanaaya, Many Ledges, is the Supernatural Being of the rock cliff behind Skedans. It was once a powerful supernatural killer whale before it became the rock cliff. In this song, Many Ledges is a metaphor for the many ascents and falls in our journey towards enlightenment.”
Bill and Claire recording live at the village of SGang Gwaay in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.