A Tribe Called Red & Jeremy Dutcher: A Collaborative Celebration of Indigenous Futurism and Tradition
A Tribe Called Red is a groundbreaking electronic music group from Canada, originally formed in 2008 in Ottawa. Fusing elements of traditional powwow music with dubstep, hip hop, and dancehall, their genre-defying sound — often referred to as Powwow Step — has positioned them at the forefront of a cultural and sonic movement. Comprised of Tim “2oolman” Hill (Six Nations of the Grand River) and Bear Witness (Cayuga, also from Six Nations), the group is known not only for their high-energy performances but also for their political and social commentary around Indigenous identity, resistance, and resurgence.
Jeremy Dutcher, a classically trained operatic tenor and composer from the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, rose to national prominence with his 2018 Polaris Prize–winning debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. The album featured Dutcher’s voice layered with archival recordings of his ancestors singing in the endangered Wolastoqey language — a project that bridges classical traditions with Indigenous knowledge and oral history. Dutcher’s music is deeply rooted in reclamation, language preservation, and cultural pride.
In 2022, A Tribe Called Red (then billed as The Halluci Nation, the name they adopted post-2021) joined forces with Jeremy Dutcher for a powerful and poetic live collaboration that blurred genre boundaries and centered Indigenous sovereignty through sound. Their combined show featured live reinterpretations of each other's music, seamlessly merging powwow drums and EDM beats with orchestral flourishes and operatic vocals. This intersection of futurism and tradition created an immersive experience that was both politically charged and spiritually uplifting.
The tour, dubbed “One Nation Under a Groove”, was a national celebration of Indigenous excellence in music, culminating in a series of sold-out performances across Canada.
Their stop at Centre In The Square in Kitchener was a standout moment of the tour. Taking place in late 2017, the performance was met with a raucous standing ovation and drew an intergenerational crowd from across the region. For many, it was more than just a concert — it was an act of cultural affirmation. The show featured immersive visuals, vibrant regalia, live drumming, and powerful monologues about identity and reconciliation. Dutcher’s soaring vocals added emotional depth to The Halluci Nation’s pulsating beats, creating moments of stillness and catharsis amid the otherwise high-energy performance.
In a city with deep ties to Indigenous history and a growing commitment to cultural dialogue, the Kitchener performance was more than a tour stop — it was a reminder of how music can both heal and challenge, honor the past and imagine the future.
