‘We still need to use it’: Musician speaks of Dane-zaa’s growth on the heels of new single

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — From childhood, Garry Oker was enamoured with the sound of music.

Oker, whose new single Tsuu Naa Yeh will debut on April 24th, the same day of the Reawakening of Our Language gathering in Fort St. John, spoke to Energeticcity.ca about his musical exploits.

The title is a phrase from the Beaver language meaning “be kind.”

“A long time ago I was told ‘your song is ahead of you,’” said Oker, a member of Doig River First Nation (DRFN). “So even with that context of thought, that I need to keep looking, it inspired me to continue searching for my song.”

Oker’s first musical inspiration was his grandfather. Oker said he can remember playing alongside him, mimicking the older man’s actions on a hand drum.

Oker said it was years later he discovered the guitar – and bought his first six-string instrument with “50 squirrels.”

“Back in the day, there was a lot of trapping going on,” said Oker. “Squirrels were 50 cents a pelt. We had to make money. One of the things available was squirrels. We’d put snares up and trap them and skin them.”

Unique in its layout, Tsuu Naa Yeh  is composed entirely in the Dane-zaa language. Oker says preparation for the project and recording took about a month.

Combining elements of traditional drums, guitar and vocals, the song has elements of blues, country and rock “telling a story,” said Oker.

Oker said he was inspired by a dream he had with his grandfather, who encouraged him to “look deeper” to find the message behind his music.

“I was sitting next to my grandpa and we were talking telepathically,” said Oker. “He was saying to me ‘keep going, keep practicing, you’re just about there.’

“But I stopped and asked ‘I don’t want to just talk and sing your songs. I want to know where you got them from? Where did that song come from?’ He said to me, ‘if you think about it, go inside.’

“I dove into a giant drum. It was like swimming in clear blue water. Animals, energy, everything is happening, and you’re a part of that, and you become the spirit. And as the spiritual melody, things come to kind of hit each other.”

Funding for the recording of the single came from a grant by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC), a Victoria-based organization committed to the growth of Indigenous culture and languages.

“They helped fund the project,” said Oker of the FPCC. “I’m just happy to get it out there to encourage all people to begin to use the language at all levels within our capacity.

“Now, everybody, especially the Elders, we need to get it out there. I know DRFN is doing a major project in terms of documentation and getting it in there, but we still need to use it.”

Oker’s manager Jenna Loren says Tsuu Naa Yeh will be the first of six separate Dane-zaa language singles to be released by Oker throughout the remainder of 2025.  

Tu Naa Yeh will be released on Thursday to coincide with the Reawakening of our Language Gathering hosted by DRFN and Northern Lights College and the University of Northern British Columbia on April 24th and 25th at the Pomeroy Sports Centre in Fort St. John.

It will be available across all major music streaming platforms.