Montreal Concert Honors Truth and Reconciliation Day

A powerful collaboration between Indigenous artists is bringing hope and healing to Montreal this fall. On September 30, Bourgie Hall will host a free concert honoring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, featuring three performances of a stirring work created entirely by Indigenous women.

Innu soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais will perform "Rien ne tuera ma lumière" (Nothing Will Kill My Light), a piece that transforms Innu poet Maya Cousineau Mollen's words into music composed by Anishinaabe artist Barbara Assiginaak. The title alone speaks to the strength and determination of Indigenous communities across Canada.

The concert carries special meaning this year. It will be performed in memory of composer Cris Derksen, who passed away in May 2026, honoring her legacy of cultural bridge-building through music.

Elisabeth St-Gelais brings impressive credentials and deep cultural commitment to the performance. The Pessamit native was named Radio-Canada Classique's Breakthrough Artist for 2023-2024 and has won multiple prestigious competitions, including first place at the Wirth Vocal Prize Competition.

Poet Maya Cousineau Mollen earned the Governor General's Award for French-language poetry in 2022. Beyond her writing, she dedicates herself to community service, volunteering with street patrols for people experiencing homelessness and working on Indigenous relations at Quebec's national library.

Composer Barbara Assiginaak brings both classical training and traditional Anishinaabe musical knowledge to her work. As the descendant of hereditary chiefs and child of residential school survivors, she has spent decades centering these histories in her creative projects, actively participating in Truth and Reconciliation Commission activities since 1992.

The Ripple Effect

This concert represents more than one performance. It shows how Indigenous artists are reclaiming their stories, celebrating their cultures, and sharing their resilience with wider audiences on their own terms.

The work itself was commissioned by Bourgie Hall and the International Festival of Literature in 2023, inspired by a sculpture in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts collection. This partnership between major cultural institutions and Indigenous creators signals a meaningful shift toward authentic representation and collaboration.

The free admission removes barriers, inviting everyone to witness and honor Indigenous strength and artistry. Montreal residents can simply walk into the Jean-Noël Desmarais pavilion at 11:00am on September 30 to experience this celebration of culture, memory, and light that refuses to be extinguished.