Gaamdaamaay Sgaalaanglaay belongs to Kuunlaanaas Raven Grizzly Bear of Yakin Point Haida Gwaii. His grand-mother was from Gingolx, a Nisg̱a’a Village in the Nass River valley. “She met my grandfather at a dance and ran away with a Haida instead of going through with an arranged marriage,” said Vernon. This union makes Vernon both Haida and Nisga’a.

Vern’s musical journey started approximately 15 years ago, when he saw an old picture of a whistle in a museum and decided to make one himself. “I made it out of red cedar and it sounded like a flute.” He also plays and makes traditional hand drums. “I build my own drums. I make them out of red or yellow cedar frames and deer hides and wax linen or wax silk in lieu of sinew.

“When I started making music, I was playing these instru-ments I had seen in pictures but I didn’t know how they were meant to be played, what they were supposed to sound like. I didn’t have any real musical training. I just made noise that made people happy! Then, I was gifted a song.” He heard the song in his mind; it just came to him and he subsequently learned how to play it. “The first songs I received were with me since I was a little baby,” he said, “but I had no understanding of them until I wrote them down and talked with my mother about them. She helped me understand their meanings. I asked one of the elders what they called what I was playing. The elder said ‘Kukaju’, whistling from the heart.”

Vernon talked about how much he loves playing music that helps people feel better. His songs are like prayers, giving thanks and helping to ground oneself. He sees him-self as a messenger who brings the songs forward, as they are gifted to him. The ones he composed were crafted with the help of the language-keepers in his community. These strong relatives have done many things to help Vernon along the way and have left him a lot of incredible tools. “I am really lucky to have connection with elders since the time I started. Hope, my aunt, got me into travelling and meeting people from other communities because she wanted me to share Haida singing. I was reluctant at first but she allured me with the promise of naked women! I’m so glad I was convinced because it’s been an incredible journey. Hope and my son motivated me and taught me to open up and let go of the fear I had been carrying. My son started singing and doing all these dances my brother was famous for. He was leading the dance group by the time he was 13. I decided to start learning for his sake but he taught me that it’s possible.

“It’s tough that a lot of our elders are all gone. We need to continue sharing their knowledge, it belongs to the earth and to the people. If we don’t share them, they get lost. We need to sit and be still and listen. That’s when songs and messages come to us. So much of us get stuck looking back at our trauma and wondering about our future that we can’t even live in the moment and we get lost going in circles until we learn to make peace with ourselves.

“Our older history and songs speak to us about who we were and inform who we are. I want people to feel that connection when they hear the songs. I compose new songs as well because this is another generation and we have things we can pass on too. In the end, the singing, dancing, ceremony and sitting in silence…it is all con-nected and teaches us about belonging.

”For more information on Vernon, check out “Our First Voices” on the Knowledge Network, Episode 11: Song-bringer. You can also hear him singing and playing on YouTube/Haida Gwaii Studio Sessions – Cove & Vernon Williams or on Facebook/Haida Gwaii Museum play-ing his composition, “Eagle You Fly So High.” found at fb.watch/hz1JSngOq4/. Vernon can be reached via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Other Local Music News

Haida Gwaii Coffee House: Come to the Community Hall in Daajing Giids starting at 6:30 p.m., bring a bowl, a spoon and something to drink, share a meal with fel-low community members and sign up for the Open Mic which starts at 7:30 p.m., followed by the feature artist starting around 8:30 after an intermission. Admission is by donation. Come check out the next featured artists:

• January 27th - The Alkemist: a one-man band (Jay Myers) who plays a type of music that could be described as a fusion of folk, blues and psychedelic rock.
• February 24th - K’aajuu G’aaya Gregory Williams aka GiG of the Skedans Clan: a tattoo artist, Haida jewelry maker and multi-instrument musician.

For more Haida Gwaii Coffee House info check out their website at haidagwaiicoffeehouse.com, their Facebook page or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Congratulations to Joey Stylez for winning Best Pop Video at the 2022 Native American Music Awards for “Indian Girl Driving Me Crazy.” “Working with North-ern Cree Singers was a very proud moment for me,” Joey shares. “They are pow wow royalty; when I saw them perform at the Grammys it sent chills up my spine. My director Aurelien Offner made a cool animated music video with 80’s vibes. I had a great team behind me, which made the process that much easier. My longtime collab-orator Boogey the Beat produced the song, so winning a Native American Music Award in Buffalo, New York felt special.”