Gordon Downies, a Canadian famous singer, songwriter, and activist says, “Music bring people together. So, my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in.” (Macleans, 2017). He wrote many songs that the way he loves Canada, and encourage people especially Canadians to unite. Goodnight Attawapiskat is one from his many famous songs that is about Indigenous people who live at the northern part of Ontario.

Goodnight Attawapiskat “is a fundraising effort for the Native reserve of Attawapiskat in the far north”. The Tragically Hip are one of the better known Canadian bands and there was a huge scandal in this country last year because such a huge lack of funding by the Harper government in Ottawa that the reserve was left without heated homes and beds and the necessities to live in a northern climate by them. It caused a huge uproar and the song is sticking up for native rights and the failure of our Prime Minister to properly fund native reserves (Emerald, 2012). Hello! Good evening folks we are the Silver Poets/ Here in our thousand mile suits, Downie explained that “the silver poets” are the politicians and well wishers, who like musicians, roll into town with their silver tongues and roll out just as quickly en route to somewhere else. “They call it a fly-in, fly-out community,” Downie said, “But maybe we should listen to the stories coming out of there.” “…A diamond dazzling/ O Attawapiskat” Gord mentioned that he was most appalled by the royalties from the nearby De Beers Victor Diamond Mine. “Everybody knows the wealth of that mine is nearby and yet the royalties go from the mine into Queen’s Park.”
The mine does employ 100 people from the community, but critics continue to note that the wealth from the area never seems to benefit the area.