N'we Jinan Artists - "DON'T GIVE UP" // Tuktoyaktuk, NWT

'Don't Give Up' was written and recorded by a group of youth from Tuktoyaktuk in the North West Territories. Written and recorded by: Eriel, Jones, Zion, Darryl, Miley, Carmen, Sophie Deana, Kiara, Peter, Waylon and Natalie. Traditional singing by: Betty Traditional singing and drumming by: Tucker and Trent Video by: Andrei Savu Produced & Mixed by: Milan André Boronell, Andrei Savu and Derwin Watt Mastered by: Kristofer Harris ------------------------------------------ For more information: http://www.nwejinan.com​ http://www.inpath.ca Special thanks to Western Arctic Youth Collective: https://www.wayc.ca/ Media inquiries: [email protected] LYRICS: ERIEL I think about it everyday I feel like we don’t have a say We’re not the cause but we feel it all You must be blind but we see it all JONES All these erosions, I’m exploding With emotion, I feel broken I hope we can, keep the culture going Push past our limits and keep the culture growing ZION I love hunting caribou Let me show you how we do Cut the ribs and make a stew Take it home on the skidoo DARRYL I wanna get my message straight No I’m not feeling great I see the waves, when the seasons change, my people’s pain, we gotta stay CHORUS No No No we don’t wanna relocate (THIS IS MY HOME, MY HOME) No No No there’s no better place (WE LIVE HERE) And we’ll never go MILEY Bad memories, float like a boat, with the children from my past In my family, It’s haunting me Gotta go, in my soul, let go of what they stole CARMEN They thought we were fools They sent us to school, on a boat with their rules I feel hurt but I must be strong Searching for the light at the break of dawn SOPHIE DEANA Flashbacks and panic attacks I don’t belong, I’m trapped But listening to music keeps me calm, that’s a fact I had to raise myself, it wasn’t safe Now I use art as an escape PETER Most of us have depression We all show one, bad expression From sundown to sunrise That’s when the long lonely nights arrive WAYLON I saved my sister’s life, twice I was scared, I was hopeless But now I got a voice, I can fight for the kids that don’t wanna live Forgiveness and love, is all that I give NATALIE Life is hard, you’ve been through enough Keep moving on, and don’t give up