Shawn Mendes used his October 12 concert in Vancouver to deliver a powerful message of unity and healing, joined on stage by rising Cree/Salish artist Tia Wood for a special performance of his 2018 song “Youth.”
Before inviting Wood to perform, Mendes reflected on the impact of indigenous communities he encountered around the world.
“My words will not be right when I describe how healing and how beautiful and how much we have to learn from the indigenous people in this world,” he said, drawing loud cheers. He called Wood “very special” and welcomed her to the stage.
Wood, who hails from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation on Treaty 6 territory, has made waves in music following her performance at Billboard Canada Women in Music 2024 and the success of her song Sky high.
During the duet, she added a moving verse in honor of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls: “Where do I start?/ How do I say it?/ My voice is so tired and I can’t fake it…”
She was joined by her father, Earl Wood, founder of the renowned Northern Cree powwow group, who brought traditional singing and percussion to the acoustic set.
The moment came a day before Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the US and shortly after Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada.
Mendes later wrote on Instagram, “This is Canada,” while Wood shared, “I spoke my truth and tried to portray it as best I could. I spoke about our missing family members.”
Fans responded emotionally online and celebrated the representation. Mendes, who often uses his platform to speak about unity, told the crowd: “We need to bring more love, acceptance and unity. If you all sing like this, those divisions will no longer be there.”
Wood shared a similar sentiment, dedicating the heartfelt performance to “rez babies everywhere.”
“I spoke my truth and tried to represent the best I could. I spoke about our missing family members,” she said on Facebook. “Aiyhiy Shawn for this opportunity.”
