Protecting Indigenous Artistry in a System That Wasn't Built for Us

There’s a powerful energy when a group of Indigenous women come together to create. We had the profound honor of supporting a circle of Indigenous women artists as they brought a song into the world—a song born from their shared identity and ancestral knowledge.

But the journey from creation to sharing has revealed a harsh reality. To simply exist in the public sphere, their work must now navigate a complex, Western system of copyright and intellectual property—a system that often fails to recognize, let alone protect, the very essence of what they’ve created.

This is where the fight for sovereignty continues. It’s not just about land or governance; it’s about the sovereignty of knowledge, of culture, of creative expression. We are deep in the work of negotiating a contract that does more than just assign rights but strives to honor and protect their sovereignty. It’s about ensuring they retain control over how their song is used, shared, and respected, now and for generations to come.

We are incredibly grateful for the pro bono legal organizations that stand with us in this fight. Their expertise has been invaluable in helping us understand the existing system and how to push its boundaries to better serve our artists. Protecting artists isn't just a legal issue; it's a moral imperative.