Two-spirit trans artist Mich Cota discusses native identity on surreal new track ‘Nibi / Water’

Newcomer, LGBTQ activist, and two-spirit native artist Mich Cota has today shared a new cut taken from her debut album Kijà / Care via Talkhouse alongside an insightful essay. Single and video Nibi / Water imagines native communities breaking free from the shackles of oppression.

Hailed by Paper Magazine who said “If you haven’t yet heard of Mich Cota, she’s an empowering new voice in music whose perspective we need”, the singular artist has also recently announced her debut album will be released on 2nd November via revered indie label Tin Angel Records. 

Speaking about the connecting themes of the track and the video, Cota said: “This video imagines the reclamation of indigenous identities through a mythological resurrection narrative. It is possible for the collective resistance of tyranny to generate an impactful discernibility for those who have been pushed to the margins of our society.

“Settlers have named us ‘savages’ in contempt of our identity. Historically, the notion of acceptance toward those who defied their hierarchy was spat out, as though we were the ones poisoning nature. Thoughtfulness and care may be neglected by those in pursuit of wealth.

“What could a world without religious conflict and greed look like?

“What could happen if we were to accept an end to our current paradigm, and embrace the possibility of beauty without colonial influence?”

As a trans woman, raised by a native father and a white mother in Southern Ontario, Cota began composing simple melodies on the piano from the age of three, to create her own sacred space in an intensely religious home. The compelling artist is a survivor of abuse, and a champion of LGBTQ rights – both topics than run deeply throughout her forthcoming album Kija/Care. This album marks her decision to speak up and share, with the intention of ending a cycle of personal shame.

This is something Cota has carried with her throughout her creative existence. Her music is a way of navigating past traumas while exploring her queer experience, with open, unapologetic sincerity. It’s through her artistic expression that she relates to others, to build collective understanding and empathy, with the intention to challenge normative ways of being.