AUNTIE: Wa'tkwanonhweráton Sewakwé:kon (Greetings, love and respect from me to all of you). On this edition of The Aunties Dandelion we visit with singer, composer, musicologist, Juno and Polaris prize winner, language carrier, and exuberant Indigi-queer futurist Jeremy Dutcher. Jeremy's prize-winning 2018 debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa features duets with his Wolastoqiyik ancestors. His singing partners were recorded on wax cylinders by an anthropologist more than a century ago and he describes how he was guided to that project by the formidable Aunties in his communities. JEREMY: Taking back what's ours kind of underpins a lot of the work in terms of the literal transference and Rematriation of our culture. Which goes from the hands of colonial institutions like museums, like archives, like universities, like churches - all of that stuff and transferring that into the hands of our people. And it's a celebration - feeling like really, really guided by these powerful women around me and just trusting that the wisdom which they have accrued in this life will be a safe guide. AUNTIE: PART ONE of our visit covers Jeremy's journey from his studies to be an opera singer to the international recognition he received for his groundbreaking first album. He describes a tender moment with his mom when he showed her the glorious and very revealing gown he wore to receive the 2018 Polaris prize. JEREMY: And she kind of looked at it a little sideways and said, "Oh, Honey. I thought this was about the culture... you know, this project. And aren't you worried you'll distract from that?" And I said, "Mom this is the culture, though, you know? We have to remember that gender play and those people that are between that are two spirit brothers and sisters -- there was always a place for us." AUNTIE: We'll post PART 2 of our visit with Jeremy in December where Jeremy talks about his community's language revitalization, his recent collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and last summer's appearance on Canada's drag race. So make sure you come back for that. We are Yethinihsténha ne Tekaronyakánere - The Aunties Dandelion and we are focused on revitalizing our communities through stories of land, language and relationships. We invite you to take a breath and make some tea for these important and regenerative stories. And don't forget to listen to your Aunties.