Eagle & Hawk in music showcase

Indigenous music extends well beyond pop and rock

First Nations Juno winners, nominees showcasedWinnipeg's Juno-nominated Eagle & Hawk showed off their alternative rock sound Thursday night at a First Nations showcase of music in Toronto.

The band fronted by Jay Bodner says its foundation is "good old Canadian rock music," but its competition for a Juno Award on Sunday ranges from hip hop to roots music.And:Eagle & Hawk are previous Juno winners (2002) and multiple winners of Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

They shared the stage Thursday with last year's Juno winners Digging Roots, Dene singer-songwriter Leela Gilday, folk singer-songwriter Christa Couture and classically trained cello player Cris Derksen, who is half-Cree.Comment:  The name Eagle & Hawk sounds stereotypical to me.

Below:  "Digging Roots members Raven Kanatakta, centre, and ShoShonna Kish, right, accept the Juno Award for the Aboriginal Album of the Year at the 2010 Junos." (Mike Dembeck/Canadian Press)