Lawrence Martin (musician)
Encyclopedia
He grew up in a small community called Moose River Crossing with his mom, sister and grandparents. As in the Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
traditional communities, the whole hamlet became his family. One of his aunts, Abba, recognized his talent for music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
at an early age. She bought him an acoustic guitar and taught him to play. Once he learned how to strum three chords, he began to write songs. He was around twelve years old at that time.
From the age of fourteen, he attended secondary school in North Bay
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
. After various jobs, he became mayor of Sioux Lookout
Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Sioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 5,336 and an elevation of 1280 ft / 390 m. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station...
in 1994, becoming the first aboriginal person
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
in the province ever elected to the mayoralty of a municipality that was not a First Nations reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
. He later moved to Cochrane
Cochrane, Ontario
Cochrane is a town in northern Ontario, Canada. It is located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins, south of Moosonee, and north of Iroquois Falls. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. It is the seat of Cochrane District...
, and was elected mayor of that town in 2003, similarly becoming one of the only Canadian politicians ever to have held the mayoralty of two different municipalities.
Also in 1994 he became the first winner of the Juno Award for Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording
Juno Award for Aboriginal Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for Aboriginal Recording of the Year, formerly known as Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording, is an annual award presented by Canada's Juno Awards for the best album by a Aboriginal peoples in Canada....
. Martin was nominated with fellow musician Vern Cheechoo for a 2003 Juno Award
Juno Awards of 2003
The Juno Awards of 2003 were presented in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on 6 April 2003. The primary awards ceremony was hosted that evening by Shania Twain at the Corel Centre and televised on CTV.- Ceremony highlights :...
for Aboriginal Recording of the Year.