Shallow Waters
Sliammon singer makes waves with music video
Ten-year-old Ta'Kaiya Blaney has been making the rounds on Facebook with a compelling music video called Shallow Waters, which was a semi-finalist in the 2010 David Suzuki songwriting contest.
Ta'Kaiya's family lives in Sliammon. Her father Delaney grew up there and although they live in North Vancouver now they still have a home in Sliammon.
Ta'Kaiya, whose name means "special water" in the Tla'amin language, is concerned about the environment, especially the preservation of marine and coastal wildlife, says her mother Anne. It was this concern coupled with a proposed oil pipeline that compelled her to write Shallow Waters.
Ta'Kaiya and her voice teacher Aileen De La Cruz began working on Shallow Waters last year to raise awareness about a proposed oil pipeline planned between the Alberta Tar Sands and Kitimat, BC.
"They were half-way through writing it when the Gulf oil spill happened," says Anne. When the song was finished it was recorded in studio and they entered it in the David Suzuki songwriting contest. It was also entered in CBC Radio's Playlist for the Planet songwriting contest.
The message in Shallow Waters is important to Ta'Kaiya because an oil spill on the northwest coat could tragically end the traditional way of life for many coastal First Nations, says Anne.
Last month, Coulter Ripley, a young videographer, finished putting together a music video of Shallow Waters and posted it on YouTube. It soon began making its way around Facebook until Wendy Pulkrabeck discovered it and contacted Powell River Living.
"She has a powerful voice and sings powerful words. I cried listening to her," Pulkrabek said.
Images of oil spills alternate with shots of Ta'Kaiya singing in a canoe on a tribal journey. Powerful words, such as "If we do nothing it will all be gone," act as a call to action.
Ta'Kaiya has participated in the Tribal Journey for the last two years and sang with the Sliammon Nation during the Tribal Journey 2010. In the music video, she is pictured singing in the cedar canoe with Sliammon's Betty Wilson. "She goes with Sliammon," says Anne, "and at each stop on the way she sings Amazing Grace in Sliammon."
Ta'Kaiya loves visiting her grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins in Sliammon. "She loves coming here to see everybody... she never wants to leave," says her mom.
Now she is writing a letter to the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations and sending him a video. She will also send a letter and video to the Coastal First Nations who are against the pipeline project.
"Ta'Kaiya wants to get the word out about the pipeline project," says her mom. "She loves the water and marine life and she is worried."
Her fears come through loud and clear in her video as she sings: "Oh why do tears fall from the sky as images of sea birds drenched in oil, ocean rigs drilling for oil and heavy machinery moving petroleum products come into view.
Readers can view Ta'Kaiya's music video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkjIkuC_eWM
