Ep. 41: Redefining Native Music: Natasha Fisher’s Creative Freedom

Dr. Candace Manitopyes sits down with Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Natasha Fisher, a rising independent artist known for her moody, edgy fusion of pop, alt-rock, and unapologetic storytelling. Their conversation gets deep into the heart of Natasha’s creative process, her path to sobriety, and the personal history behind her newest album, Temporary Feelings.Natasha shares how songwriting has always been the place where she can say the things she can’t always speak out loud. Her music, often mistaken for romantic heartbreak, is rooted just as much in family struggles, addiction, and the emotional complexity of healing. She talks about how sobriety brought her back to her teenage self—reviving old musical influences, emo roots, and a rawness that she finally gave herself permission to embrace.Candace and Natasha also unpack the pressure Indigenous artists face to “sound Native enough,” and Natasha speaks honestly about carving out her own lane—one that honours her identity without fitting into someone else’s expectations.Throughout the episode, she opens up about navigating the industry as a fully independent artist, from doing her own marketing to earning a billboard spot, to mentoring younger Indigenous creatives who want into the music world.This conversation is full of humour, vulnerability, cultural insight, and creative truth-telling. It’s a reminder that healing is nonlinear, identity is expansive, and art becomes its most powerful when it’s honest.@natashafisher_-Relentless Actions1. Choose an age where you felt misunderstood, silenced, or creatively limited. Do one thing this week that honours who you were then (a playlist, an outfit, a journal entry, a walk in a place you loved) anything that reconnects you to that self.2.  Pick one emotion you’ve been avoiding. Express it in a creative way (voice memo, drawing, movement, music, spoken word). No polishing. No editing. Just the raw feeling given form, and then released.Relentless Reflections 1. Where in my life am I still trying to fit into someone else’s expectations of who I should be?2. What emotion or truth do I find hardest to say out loud, and what creative medium might help it finally move? Relentless Resources1. Indigenous Artist Mentorship & Funding. Canada Council for the Arts – Creating, Knowing & Sharing Program. Supports Indigenous artists, storytellers, musicians, and cultural expression.2. Healing Through Art & Sobriety Support. Native Wellness Institute – Wellness Resources & Programs. Offers Indigenous-centered healing, wellness teachings, and community programs.Send Us a Text with Your Thoughts or Questions!Join the RIW Patreon Community RIW WebsiteMusic Produced by Award-Winning Anishnaabe DJ Boogey the Beat