N’we Jinan, whose name means “we live here” in James Bay (Eastern) Cree, was coined in 2014 by former Grand Chief of the Cree Nation Youth Council, Joshua Iserhoff and Montreal music producer and educator, David Hodges.

N’we Jinan began as a one-week intensive program for youth to learn about and acquire skills in sound recording, music production, songwriting, and performance. Through the Mobile Music and Production Studio, original songs were created that centred on themes of cultural identity, language, struggle, love, and self-acceptance. To date, more than 900 First Nations youth have participated across 70 communities, resulting in 140 songs and videos that have been viewed more than 20 million times online.

Between 2014 and 2021, the Mobile Production Studio has given participants an opportunity to write, edit, practice, perform, and share their talents with the entire world. The Studio encourages youth to build confidence and creates healthy space for collaboration, teamwork, and peer to peer support. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.