The Saskatchewan Indigenous Music Awards surprised Cumberland House-based Gospel Singer Carl Crane with their lifetime achievement award on Saturday night at the EA Rawlinson Centre.
The Willard Ahenakew Award, was one of 14 awards handed out on the evening. The event recognized the work of Indigenous artists and was hosted by the Saskatchewan Indigenous Music Association (SIMA).
“I was completely flabbergasted,” Crane said. “I mean, I never expected anything like that to happen. I’ve heard of awards being given like that, but that’s a real honour for people that do the work that they do. I didn’t expect (to)get picked for that.”
Crane received the award from his friend and Saskatchewan Indigenous Music Association (SIMA) board member Yvonne St. Germaine.
“I really thank SIMA for picking me this year,” Crane said. “I’m speechless, I just don’t know what to say to really actually express my feelings about this whole thing.”
The award is selected each year by the SIMA board. The announcement was made during the ceremony by St. Germaine and SIMA President Donny Parenteau. Each year the winner will be presented a print by Willard Ahenakew.
Crane credited his parents for getting him involved in music at a young age.
“My parents saw something in me as a boy because I picked up some musical talents here and there,” he said. “They decided to buy me a guitar to start off with and I picked it up from there. It was all by heart, by ear, I started playing guitar by learning songs from the radio.”
Crane, who has overcome many challenges in his life has always had a soft spot for gospel music.
“It was always gospel music that touched my heart to be able to keep playing, singing,” he said. “The whole time gospel (songs) are the ones that kept me going.
“I learned a lot as I was growing up in the church and stuff like that, because I was taught at an early age. That’s another thing that kept me going. All those words that were planted in my head kept coming back, kept coming back.”
Crane is noted in the north for performing at wakes and funerals. He said that is another way to spread his message through gospel.
“Countless wakes and services that I do, it’s a non-stop thing,” he explained “It’s an unfortunate thing that happens then because we can’t do anything about it. People need comfort. This is where it comes in and I’m asked to go and do that to comfort the people who need that.
“I was told that they can’t keep that in them. They can’t keep that bottled in them. They need to release and that’s where the songs and the music come, to release that for them.
That makes this award even more special too, because you are special to all these people and now you see that you’re special to everyone,” he added.
“It’s just an amazing feeling. I just don’t know how to express it, but I know deep inside that it’s really, it’s really connecting really well for my family as well. It’s hitting them right now because they know that all the hard work that I’ve done is showing by being given this award.”
Crane was also the winner of the Indigenous Language Recording of the Year for his song “Astum Pa Petikwa”. Crane said that winning twice was also a shock.
“That’s a total shock, yeah. I just can’t believe that this is happening. I’m really honoured,” Crane said.
Willard Ahenakew grew up on Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation and began working at CKBI before taking a drawing test and becoming a prominent Indigenous journalist, photographer and cartoonist. Ahenakew also organized the Saskatchewan and the National Indian Arts and Crafts Corporations.
Crane, who follows the late Lawrence Joseph and Canada’s Got Talent winner Rebecca Strong as Willard Ahenakew Award winners was humbled to win.
“It’s really something that I’m going to cherish for the rest of my life, I don’t know how much longer I have to keep on doing this, but Lord willing, I’m just going to keep on going,” he said.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
