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(Many Paths)
An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
 
 
 
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Nooksack Grad Raps Positive Messages for American Indians
 
 
by Dean Kahn - The Bellingham (WA) Herald

Kurtis Kelly's life took a new and better direction once he heard Savage Family.

That's the music group - a collective movement, really - that uses hip-hop and other art forms to express the challenges, heritage and pride of American Indians.

"Their CD changed our lives" Kelly said, referring to himself and his rap-music partner Sindick Bura, a cousin.

The two 18-year-olds have released two CDs and four music videos about alcoholism, suicide, excessive gambling and other problems facing American Indians, and the need to transcend them. The chorus of one of their songs, "Rize Above," calls for a better life:

Our existence is so sacred so I tell this to my Natives
Don't let the sickness get you, don't let the sickness take it
We can rise above from the drugs and spread the love
Instead of the sickness we choose to rise above ....

A member of the Nooksack Indian Tribe, Kelly said he once belonged to a gang, and his school record showed it. By the time he was an upperclassman at Nooksack Valley High School, he learned he wouldn't graduate on schedule, and would need two more years of classes to receive his diploma.

So he enrolled in YouthBuild, a Nooksack tribal program, and earned his GED certificate in four months, graduating in June. Ashley Sweeney, Kelly's GED instructor, was impressed by his work ethic and by his commitment to change, both personal and social.

"He is not only a role model for Native youth, he is a role model for all youth because he stands up against the status quo," she wrote in an e-mail, "and, instead of just ranting against it, he offers a solution and hope to disadvantaged and disenfranchised youth."

Kelly and Bura have written about 32 songs and performed at conferences, schools, dances and powwows. In April, they sang and discussed song-writing at a music academy for youths hosted by the Chehalis Tribe. For the academy, the youths recorded a music CD about suicide prevention.

This summer, Kelly, the son of Ed and Candace Kelly, is chaperoning kids at a youth program run the Nooksacks. He hopes to attend Northwest Indian College and perhaps study music or computers.

He also wants to keep writing and singing songs, and keep participating in canoe races. He has won numerous medals as a canoe puller.

"Kids know who he is and look up to him," his father said.

Now they have another reason to do so.

READ THE LYRICS
Here are the lyrics to "Rize Above," by Kurtis Kelly and Sindick Bura:

I had money in my pocket so I started rolling dice
My pockets getting empty so I thought about it twice
Now I'm driving home broke gas tank full of fumes
To hear all the drama, getting hit with bad news
They'll be waiting at my door for last month's rent
Kicked out on the street with all my money spent
Sitting on the curb asking people for some cash
To get another fix cause the other didn't last
Walking to the store waiting for my prescription
Wishing for another high to forget my addiction
Starving for some cash now I'm dealing all my pills
To put money in my pocket but it never gets filled
I switched my game, Texas Hold 'em I'll be playing
My chips are getting low but now I stay in
Back to the streets all because of my addiction
I been told a lot of times but I chose not to listen

(CHORUS)

Our existence is so sacred so I tell this to my Natives
Don't let the sickness get you, don't let the sickness take it
We can rise above from the drugs and spread the love
Instead of the sickness we choose to rise above ....

(VERSE)

I hear all the drama so I close my bedroom door
Cranking up my music until it doesn't anymore
Light another bull in my room I'll be blazing
Can't deal with the drama, my life I be hating
Some music drives by, ain't your typical rap
Talking about change, never knew about that
Thinking of my addiction that needle in my hand
Dealing with drugs is what I never really planned
It is what it is, my cards are on the table
Eyes to the sky asking God if I'm able

(VERSE)

To live a better life, a life that is stable
Counting holes in my arms, I know it's fatal
Pain in my veins my family I cannot lose
Blind in my eyes myself I cannot choose
Which way to go in the dark I am confused
Wake up from this nightmare or forever I will snooze

(CHORUS)

Our existence is so sacred so I tell this to my Natives
Don't let the sickness get you, don't let the sickness take it
We can rise above from the drugs and spread the love
Instead of the sickness we choose to rise above ....

WATCH THE VIDEOS
To watch Kelly Kurtis and Sindick Bura's music videos, go to YouTube.com and search for "Ancestors Official Remix," "Flagz In The Air," and "Natives Throw it Up."

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