The walls and floors were vibrating when Indigenous hip-hop duo, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, took the stage at the  FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines Wednesday night.

The Haisla First Nation duo hail from Kitamaat Village, B.C. and came to St. Catharines to headline a free concert for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The concert was organized by the Niagara Regional Native Centre, based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and featured performances from local Indigenous artists as well.

Throughout their set, the Snotty Nose Rez Kids had the crowd head-banging to its biggest hits, like “Boujee Natives” and “Long Hair Don’t Care,” and some of its latest tracks.

Community member Cherie Bernard was in the corner dancing with several younger listeners.

“I’m really excited to be able to be of support and to just listen to and enjoy the entertainment,” Bernard said between acts.

“It’s about all of us gathering together and just becoming one with music,” she said.

The opening acts included Ol’ Child, Low Animal and The Pappy Johns Band.

Sean Vanderklis, an Anishinaabe man from St. Catharines and co-host of the radio show One Dish One Mic, was thrilled to see Indigenous artists represented on the stage.

“It’s one of the most important things for Indigenous peoples,” he said.

Vanderklis said celebrating and supporting Indigenous culture “started as an act of resistance” against the attempts of settler colonialists to erase their culture throughout history.

By continuing to celebrate their culture in public, they are “creating space for (their) children,” in the future, he added.

After the opening acts warmed up the hall, Snotty Nose Rez Kids stepped out to an audience of about 400 to 500 people.

Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce, who both front the band, have carved their name into the rap scene over the course of five albums.

Back-to-back releases “Trapline” and “Life After” were both nominated for the Polaris Music Award in 2019 and 2022 respectively.

The band was also nominated for Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards.

“They use a lot of Anishinaabe words,” Vanderklis said of the rappers, which he said makes him feel seen, and is “good for my kids” to hear.

Vanderklis was not the only one to bring kids to the show. 

After playing a couple of crowd favourites, the band invited the youth of the crowd on stage to dance to the sound of “Boujee Natives.”

There were about 25 to 30 kids on stage with the rap duo by the end of the song.

Later, As Vanderklis was filming the hip-hop duo from the front row, community member Cherie Bernard was off in a corner dancing with the younger listeners.

“I’m really excited to be able to be of support and to just listen to and enjoy the entertainment,” Bernard said between acts.

“It’s about all of us gathering together and just becoming one with music,” she said.

Her Mi’kmaw friend Venette Gerden, Bernard’s friend who is Mi’kmaw, agreed with the sentiment that the experience was about becoming one with music.

“It all goes back to that heartbeat,” Gerden said, describing music.

“Music sings to everybody,” she added, whether you listen to opera, death metal or hip-hop. 

“What better way to celebrate culture than through music?”