CREDIT: PAT BOLDUC
A Tribe Called Red will be opening for Shad and Classified - all part of the FSU's Froshfest concert on September 9.

Electronic group A Tribe Called Red is looking forward to turning the Fanshawe campus into a dance hot spot.

The trio, comprised of Bear Witness, DJ NDN and DJ Shub, will be joining hip-hop artists Shad and Classified, taking to the stage as part of the Fanshawe Student Union’s Froshfest concert.

The group’s name, A Tribe Called Red, was a collective effort and holds different meanings.

“We were trying to find a name that was inclusive of all indigenous people in North America that would appeal to rural and urban communities,” said Bear.

ATCR, which prides itself in featuring traditional powwow chants in its remixes, didn’t start off that way.

“[DJ NDN] and I got together in 2007,” said Bear. “[We] just wanted to showcase ourselves and a few other indigenous DJs in Ottawa.”

The chants became incorporated after a party in Ottawa.

“We started remixing powwow music just because we were guys from the indigenous community in Ottawa,” he said.

That’s not to say ATCR’s music won’t continue to evolve.

“We do all kinds of music,” said Bear. “It’s always changing, it’s always evolving. We’ll always do powwow stuff … doesn’t matter what we do in music, it’s true to our roots.”

The group credits hiphop, reggae and dance music to the evolution of its sound, and in the end – the guys just want to throw a good dance party.

“That’s what we’re here to do,” said Bear. “Make dance music and have a good dance party. That’s really at the heart of what we do.” With popularity comes more attention, so DJ NDN’s brief scuff in the media did come up.

“The Caucasians T-shirt was just something Ian wore,” explained Bear. “It doesn’t really have anything to do with our group.”

“I personally don’t agree with the message … We’re not making a point of making fun of anybody else,” he said. “It’s just a crass T-shirt that started some conversation, it’s nothing more than that.”

With ATCR gaining momentum in recent years, attention to First Nations people is growing, and Bear said it comes with the territory as an indigenous artist to talk about his people.

“Part of our job is to talk about indigenous people,” he said. And part of that job is that aspect social responsibility.

The group’s music reaches powwow music to those who may not have heard it before.

“It’s definitely showing people some of the culture of North America that they’re not aware of.”

Bear does see that First Nations people get swept under the rug, however, and hopes to be an example to others.

“What we’re doing more than anything is changing the perception,” he said. “Showing that we’re not stereotypes, showing that we are humans like everybody else … It’s part of what we’re doing to change the image of indigenous people.”

“When you come from an oppressed group of people for as long as we have … you’ve never had your own voice or your own chance to depict yourself how you see yourself. That’s also the sort of thing we’re starting to do.”

ATCR has released two albums and will be performing at Fanshawe on September 9. To learn more, follow the group’s Twitter handle @atribecalledred and like them on Facebook.