Blood Tribe singer performs national anthem at Toronto Blue Jays game
The nerves were high for Tsuaki Marule as she sang O Canada in front of thousands of fans at the Toronto Blue Jays game on Friday.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Marule said.
“I felt a lot of pride to be able to do the performance in Blackfoot, to represent my people, the Niitsitapi people.”
Marule, who is from the Blood Tribe, performed the national anthem in English, French and Blackfoot.
It's an experience she’ll never forget.
“I wasn’t able to speak Blackfoot fluently because of the residential schools,” Marule said.
“A lot of my cousins can’t because that break in our culture took place, so for me, being able to sing the song in Blackfoot is a way of rebuilding that language and that pride in your language and culture because that’s what was taken away.”
Tsuaki Marule performed the national anthem at Friday's Toronto Blue Jays game in English, French and Blackfoot.
Friday marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation across Canada.
Marule says being able to perform on a national level, while raising awareness of those who attended residential schools, made the day extra special for her.
“The Blue Jays wanted to have somebody represent an Indigenous tribe for Truth and Reconciliation Day,” Marule told CTV News.
“Because of what this day means, I have aunts, uncles and relatives that all attended residential schools, so I’m very aware of the fallout from that experience for them and our community.
“It’s very moving that the Blue Jays are doing such a presentation to honour this day. I think it puts a lot of emphasis on this day.”
A teacher at Red Crow Community College in Stand Off, Alta., Marule began singing when she was in high school.
“After going to the U of L and when I was first teaching out of university, I was teaching on the Blood Reserve at an elementary school and it was a Blackfoot immersion program and the Blackfoot immersion teacher asked me if I could teach her Grade 4 students to sing O Canada in Blackfoot for their end-of-the-year presentation,” she said.
“Ever since then, I’ve been asked to sing O Canada at various places in Blackfoot, so I’m really grateful for her.”
The chance to sing at a Toronto Blue Jays game came earlier this summer when Marule was visiting Edmonton.
“I was in Edmonton this summer and I got a phone call from a fellow who said he was with the Blue Jays and was wanting to know if I would be willing to come to Toronto to sing the national anthem at one of their games,” she said.
“At first, I thought he was joking and I said ‘yeah sure’ and at the beginning of September they confirmed the date and they wanted me to come out because today is Truth and Reconciliation Day.”
Marule says the support leading up to her big moment has been unbelievable.
“I’m really proud of where I come from and I’m really excited to be representing our tribe, Lethbridge and Alberta today.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.