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鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to be able to see our culture in full light, and see how amazing and beautiful the Mi鈥檏maq language and Mi鈥檏maq music is,鈥� Stevens said in an interview Monday, reached at her home in Eskasoni in Cape Breton.

The singer-songwriter gained international attention for her music in 2019, when her Mi鈥檏maq-language cover of the Beatles鈥� song "Blackbird" went viral. The song was translated by Katani Julian and Albert Golydada Julian and produced by Stevens鈥� music teacher Carter Chiasson.

Her high school posted the "Blackbird" video to YouTube, where it has been viewed more than 1.9 million times. Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney shouted out her 鈥渂eautiful version鈥� of the song while he was on tour in July 2019. McCartney met Stevens before his Vancouver concert that summer, then later told the crowd her version "is so beautiful I'm going to be nervous singing my version."

Since then, Stevens has performed widely and spoken at multiple United Nations events, highlighting issues facing Indigenous people in Canada. 鈥淚 talk about language loss and missing and murdered Indigenous women, and that's where I love to put my focus,鈥� she said.

Stevens said she has been working hard to reconnect with her Mi鈥檏maq language, and recently wrote a song in Mi鈥檏maq by herself for the first time.

鈥淚t was very surreal, and I was very proud of myself. But I know there are some inconsistencies in (the song) because I鈥檓 not as educated in my own language 鈥� I want to make sure that the younger generations continue to speak it and hold their language close to them,鈥� she said.聽

Stevens grew up speaking Mi鈥檏maq at home, but said she began to lose her fluency after learning English in school. 鈥淚 can hold a conversation, but writing is very difficult 鈥� now that I鈥檓 writing (in Mi鈥檏maq) I feel more connected,鈥� she said.聽

The young musician said she鈥檚 elated to be performing two songs at the concert in Eskasoni Tuesday evening, and then at the orchestra鈥檚 other two Nova Scotia stops in Halifax on Thursday and Wolfville on Friday. She will perform the Mi鈥檏maq cover of "Blackbird" and "The Ballad of Shubenacadie" 鈥� an original song she co-wrote with Chiasson about the 好色tv residential school system. The song was released on Truth and Reconciliation Day in 2023.聽

Also featured in the orchestra鈥檚 tour is Wolastoqiyik composer and singer-songwriter Jeremy Dutcher, a member of Tobique First Nation in northern New Brunswick and two-time Polaris Music Prize winner. Dutcher is also the 2025 recipient of the NAC Award at the Governor General鈥檚 Performing Arts Awards.

Stevens said she鈥檚 thrilled to be joining Dutcher, who she looks up to. 鈥淗e's an amazing artist. His voice is amazing. The way that he brings himself and he tells his story. It's so beautiful."

Dutcher, who also said he's a big fan of Stevens, says the orchestra's audience should expect a celebration of music, language "and the resilience of our melodies and our people." The musician said it was his mentor, elder Maggie Paul from Peskotomuhkati Nation, who encouraged him to champion traditional Indigenous music.聽

"It was her dream to hear our old songs lifted up by symphonic voices 鈥� it is so meaningful to bring an ensemble as fantastic as the NAC Orchestra to Wabanaki Territory, and to have our songs and language underscored by Canada鈥檚 orchestra, in our language, in our homelands.鈥�

This report by 好色tvwas first published April 14, 2026.聽