THUNDER BAY – Chester Knight says when he was younger, his demons got the better of him.
An alcoholic, it took hitting rock bottom, and a loving uncle, to help him get back on his feet, leading him on a musical journey that on Saturday brought him to Prince Arthur’s Landing, where he caught the crowd’s fancy in the early hours of the Wake the Giant Music Festival.
The event, which includes activities outside the festival, was designed to help students coming to school in Thunder Bay from remote, Indigenous communities.
These days, thank in part to a Tik Tok bump, Knight says he wants to help youngsters believe they can do anything they can imagine.
He said he went through hell and back before he realized his purpose, but the important thing is he did listen, both to his uncles and the wisdom passed down from his ancestors.
It paid off, Knight said.
“They’re rewarding me right now, for my sacrifices, my loyalty to their teachings. When you learn to become a good human being, and anybody can learn, you can learn our traditions and go back and be a better human being,” he said.
“This is the message I carry to the young people. Those young people are the same people who were here 500 years ago. But they’re just not awake right now. Their spirit is still sleeping. When you wake up, anything you can imagine. If you can imagine it, you can do it. This is what I imagined and this is my reward.”
Ira Johnson, who heads up the Ira Johnson Band, said It’s always an honour to be asked to play the Wake the Giant Music Festival.
In addition to spreading a message of welcoming to youngsters who have moved hundreds of kilometres away from their traditional home, the festival is an excellent showcase of Indigenous artists and musicians.
“it’s great to profile that with the native community, the talent and the challenges that are within the Anishnabe community,” he said.
“It’s pretty amazing that the apparatus is here for that to happen. Before, there was never (this) thing. I consider myself to come into (a festival like this), to get to that stage of my career to be able to share my music. For the children, it’s a way to come into the city and to be a part of it.”
Organizer Sean Spenrath said it was important to have at least 50 per cent of there lineup fall into the Indigenous category, adding he’s seen the impact the festival and it surrounding activities have had on the Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School community and its students.
“I think the overall image (of Thunder Bay) is a whole lot better. When you go up there you hear a lot of better thing stemming from this. And I think the biggest improvement that we’ve seen is there’s been a huge confidence boost of our students who perform and take in these big events. They feel more comfortable in Thunder Bay because we do put on an orientation for them every year.”
