Jordan Redekop-Jones Reflection

When I first heard about the opportunity to be a Wikipedia Scholar with Rungh, I was immediately intrigued. I had no idea which artist I would select but was certain that I wanted to be a part of the process, no matter what it would entail. There are so many incredible underrepresented BIPOC artists out in the world right now, so it was incredibly difficult to decide which one to write about. After researching a few options, I knew that I wanted to focus on the singer/songwriter Natasha Fisher. As an Anishinaabe and Finish artist, Natasha’s experience resonates quite deeply with my own as someone who is also Mixed-Indigenous. This made researching her all the more special. She has made it very clear that those of us who are reconnecting after being displaced from our own communities are always worthy of being heard and seen. For that reason and many more, I was drawn to learn more about her and her journey as an artist.

At times, the experience of being mixed race can be incredibly isolating and disheartening. When I was reading comments under one of Natasha Fisher’s videos on social media in which she discusses being mixed- Indigenous, it reiterated just how much more representation our community needs. There were so many people sharing their stories and I found it to be a very beautiful representation of the power that comes with being seen and validated for exactly who you are. I myself have felt relieved and empowered when I have come across her videos on social media. Her work is a wonderful disruption to the harmful rhetoric that has overwhelmingly become present on social media. One, in which the mixed community and those who are displaced are unwelcome and cannot seriously consider reclaiming their identity. In addition to her wonderful advocacy, she is an incredibly talented artist and, in my opinion, greatly deserves a much larger platform than she currently has. Even while the one she has is very substantial, Natasha’s music has a much greater purpose than she may even currently realize. It is so important that the younger generation continues to see themselves being represented in a positive light. Especially when they can witness how that success is further perpetuated by the kinship of community.

Writing on Natasha Fisher has been a wonderful experience. While I am quite comfortable conducting research, navigating how to write a Wikipedia article has been quite a learning experience for me. It was fascinating learning how to use Wikipedia and it felt really rewarding to get the inside scoop on how articles are created and edited on their platform.

I am incredibly grateful for this experience with Rungh and continue to be in awe at the opportunities I have been granted through the arts community. At times I still get discouraged navigating the world as a Mixed-Indigenous artist. I often find myself asking what it means to be one and what goals I am working towards in terms of representation. When I started following Natasha Fisher, I was opened up to more creators that struggle with similar things that I do. Instead of hiding from comments about their background, they like Fisher, choose to be vulnerable, honest and full of pride about where they are from and the places they are connecting to. It encourages me to do the same and I think that is what community is. Sometimes your community consists of people you don’t even realize are watching and connecting with you from behind a screen. The people that feel a little less lonely when you are around, creating art from pure honesty.