Alanis Obomsawin

Although American-Canadian Abenaki artist Alanis Obomsawin is principally known for her work as a documentary maker, she also has a music career that began in 1960. Born in New Hampshire in Abenaki Territory, Obomsawin moved with her mother to the Odanak reserve in northeast Montreal where she resided until she was nine. While there, her mother's cousin taught her about the history of the Abenaki Nation including its legends and songs. She moved to Montreal in the 1950s and began singing and storytelling at schools, prisons, and on reservations. In 1971, she made her first f...