Shy-Anne Hovorka turns a story of resistance into a community song
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY — Red Rock Indian Band musician Shy-Anne Hovorka recently released a new single and music video, Raise My Fist, which was inspired by former Long Lake #58 First Nation Chief Judy Desmoulin.
“This particular song, I wouldn’t even say it’s mine per se, even though I wrote it; I feel it’s more of a community song,” Hovorka says. “It came to me after attending a cultural sensitivity session in Long Lake #58 [First Nation]. The Chief at the time was Chief Judy Desmoulin and she was sharing a story with us about when she was a little girl and the Indian agents had control over who could leave and who could not leave [the] community.”
Hovorka says former Chief Desmoulin had shared how her family wanted to go hunting and fishing off the reserve, but the Indian agent denied them permission to leave the reserve.
“As they were walking away back to the community, Judy had turned around and just raised her fist at them,” Hovorka says. “And she got scolded by the Indian agent, and she was like, ‘There’s no weapon in my hand.’ That really resonated with me, along with everything else that was shared that day, so on my way home, the song kind of percolated in my head, and by the time I got home it was done.”
Hovorka says she shared an audio recording of the song with Chief Desmoulin and Long Lake #58 First Nation Education Director Claire Onabigon.
“They really liked it, so I’d asked permission if I could record it and they said, ‘Sure,’” Hovorka says. “But it didn’t align at that time, three years ago. And then this year, it kind of popped into my head again, so I revisited it, and everything started falling into place.”
Hovorka says a couple of her friends agreed to sing with her on the chorus.
“And then more people wanted to join in,” Hovorka says. “Next thing you know, I had somebody offering to do a hand drum on it, so that was Julie Michano, and then Nicole Richmond wore her Jingle Dress and danced in the studio, so it started to turn into something that I hadn’t even expected myself, and then other singers wanted to be part of it.”
Hovorka says the image of the raised fist is often misunderstood.
“For me, it isn’t a symbol of anger,” Hovorka says. “It represents the courage to stand together, to speak the truth, and to refuse to let history or injustice define who we are.”
Hovorka adds that the eagle, central to the song’s imagery, carries additional significance in Anishinaabe teachings.
“In Anishinaabe teachings, the eagle carries our prayers to the Creator and reminds us to live with wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth,” Hovorka says.
Hovorka says she worked with Jean-Paul De Roover, the co-producer on the song, at Blueprints Studio. De Roover also handled the mix, and Jim Zolis mastered the final track.
“I hope Raise My Fist encourages people to look honestly at the ongoing barriers and inequities Indigenous peoples continue to face, while also recognizing the strength, beauty, and resilience that have always existed within our communities,” Hovorka says. “I hope it encourages people to learn the true history of Turtle Island, the lands now known as Canada and North America, and reminds listeners that reconciliation isn’t only about acknowledging the past. It’s about the choices we make together today.”
Hovorka’s first three albums, Black Thunderbird, Pseudo, and Interwoven Roots, have sold more than 15,000 copies worldwide and were nominated for 25 awards and recognized with multiple awards, including six 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA) for Interwoven Roots.
Hovorka’s 2014 album, Bones, was recognized with three APCMA’s for Best Country Album, Single of the Year for Be Your Girl, and Best Album Design, and Hovorka was recognized with the 2014 APCMA Entertainer of the Year award, one of three times she earned that honour throughout her career.
Hovorka released her fifth album, And Then, in 2022, and a single, I Miss You, in 2023.
Hovorka’s orchestral collaboration, Granddaughter’s Song, co-written with composer Micah Pawluk and developed with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and respected Indigenous Elders, is rooted in the Seven Grandfather Teachings. The collaboration earned a 2026 Northern Ontario Music and Film Award nomination for Outstanding Album of the Year and a licensing agreement with ON-Core Music that expanded the work’s reach into film, television, and educational programming.