Overview

• At Rogers Arena on Oct. 12, Mendes invited Juno-nominated Cree/Salish artist Tia Wood to join him for a surprise rendition of his 2018 song “Youth.”
• Wood wove traditional Indigenous vocals and beats into the arrangement and delivered a new verse honoring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
• Mendes told the crowd he has spent time with Indigenous communities and later posted video on Instagram, saying he felt honoured to share the stage and writing, “This is Canada.”
• Wood, who hails from the Saddle Creek Cree Nation in central Alberta, called the moment “for my rez babies everywhere” and said she “spoke my truth” in a Facebook post.
• The performance, part of Mendes’ On the Road Again Tour, boosted attention on Wood’s rising profile ahead of her single “Sage My Soul,” slated for release on Oct. 17.