About Ta’Kaiya

Ta’Kaiya, 10, lives in North Vancouver and is from the Sliammon First Nation. “Shallow Waters,: recorded July 2010, is one of 5 songs co written by Ta’Kaiya and her singing instructor/professional songwriter/pianist Aileen De La Cruz. Ta’Kaiya is also known for singing “Amazing Grace” in the Sliammon language, translated by her grandfather. Ta’Kaiya began working with Aileen since the age of 5 and has performed at large events in both BC and Washington State. She also sings and plays the violin at various coffee shops in Vancouver and North Vancouver. Ta’Kaiya has also recorded the songs “Carried Away,” “Watching Over Me,” and “Wonderful, Beautiful” in June 2011.

A  homeschooled student entering Grade 5 this fall 2011, Ta’kaiya particularly enjoys studying about the oceans and marine life. It was her idea to write a song about an oil spill. When Ta’Kaiya and Aileen began writing “Shallow Waters,” it was to raise awareness about a proposed oil pipeline planned between the Alberta Tar Sands and Kitimat, BC. By the time the song was almost finished, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico suddenly happened.

The message from the song “Shallow Waters” is urgent because an oil spill in the northwest coast could tragically end the traditional way of life for many coastal First Nations. It would also devastate all marine and coastal life and habitat.

Since the video was released in February, 2011, it has been viewed 64,000 times on youtube. Ta’Kaiya has spoken at events, festivals and schools around BC in 2011. She spoke and sang at the Comox Earth Day festival, at the Canada Day celebration in Powell River, the Bella Bella school and Gathering Voices Environmental Film Festival in Bella Bella. She spoke and sang at the Marine Protected Areas Congress in Victoria, the Father’s Day Pow Wow, and recently at the Rhizome Cafe in Vancouver for Solidarity Night with the Dene Suline.

She was chosen as one of 20 “We Canada” Champions (earthsummit.ca) an organization putting pressure on Canada to show leadership at the UN Earth Summit 2012 in Rio De Janiero. This summit will review and set goals for s future that is sustainable and promotes social justice. See her “We Canada” statement on her blog.

Ta’Kaiya also has played the lead role in several short films. She received two Leo Award Nominations (2009 and 2010) for Best Female Performance in a Short Drama for the films “Shi Shi Etko” and “Savage.” In both films, she portrayed a little girl who went to residential school.

Ta’Kaiya sang and spoke at the Na’Kadzli First Nation AGM in Ft. St. James in July. She got to see the beautiful country up north, and to see the area where the Northern Gateway Pipeline is proposing to go through.

Ta’Kaiya  sang with the Sliammon Nation during the Tribal Journeys 2009 (Suquamish Nation) and 2010 (Makah Nation)  in Neah Bay, Washington.  The Swinomish Nation allowed her to sing on her own this year (2011) at Tribal Journeys since she was up in Ft. St. James singing during the Sliammon protocol !

Ta’Kaiya spoke and sang at several rallys this summer. She spoke at a rally at the KinderMorgan Plant in Burnaby, BC where Tar Sands pipeline expansion will mean more oil tankers in Burrand Inlet. She spoke at the Wild Salmon Warriors rally in support of saving wild salmon from the dangers of Fish Farms for Atlantic Salmon.

Ta’Kaiya traveled to Bandung, Indonesia with her mother, Anne and other We Canada Champions including the 2 directors. The conference was called Tunza, Children and Youth on the Road to Rio + 20. It was sponsored by UNEP; United Nations Environmental Program. She gave 3 workshops for 10-14 year olds and sang at the closing ceremonies.

Ta’Kaiya will be recording her latest song, Earth Revolution in the studio the first week of November.

She is also hoping to work with  Raffi  on some projects!

She is plans to go to a rally in Prince Rupert Feb. 4th and a Redwire event in Vancouver Feb,2nd. She plan to leave for Ottawa and Toronto for the We Canada  Feb. 15th. She plans to go to James Bay March 3-12.