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ABOUT US
Our team is a dynamic blend of traditional and contemporary artists, educators, and facilitators, ensuring that youth receive diverse and enriching experiences. Our facilitators mentor youth across disciplines in dance, music, and art while incorporating the teachings they were brought up with from their own nation.
We customize each experience based on community input, collaborating closely with knowledge keepers and inviting local artists to participate when requested. Our goal is to empower communities by nurturing the artistic abilities and cultural identities of their youth.
We continually expand our team by adding new facilitators each year, ensuring that no two teams are ever the same. Our team is predominantly Indigenous, providing youth with relatable mentors who reflect their own experiences and identities.
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Niska Napoleon is the daughter of renowned Cree knowledge keeper, the late Roxanne Tootoosis (Poundmaker Cree Nation – Treaty 6), and TV host/musician Art Napoleon (Saulteau First Nations – Treaty 8). Although raised in an English-speaking household, witnessing her parents’ careers rooted in language and traditional teachings inspired her to carve her own path in the arts and entertainment world.
By 16, Niska began touring, performing with diverse groups such as the traditional Cree women’s group Iswew, the reggae-rock band Rocky Mountain Rebel Music, and hip-hop collectives like The Red Power Squad and ReddNation, before headlining her own tour with DJ Kookum.
In 2012, she relocated to Vancouver and transitioned into entrepreneurship, launching Rockstar Nanny Services, which later inspired her to create The Rockstar Kids Indigenous Arts Program. Drawing from her decade of childcare experience, Niska was determined to provide on-reserve youth with the same enriching opportunities she had seen urban children experience.
Motivated by her own memories of uninspiring workshops and desire to create a hands on program that kept the attention of learners like herself, she was driven to establish a fully Indigenous-owned and operated business that fairly compensates Indigenous artists.
When she’s not leading The Rockstar Kids Program or planning her next tour, Niska is busy preparing for the long-awaited release of her debut solo album.