A comment about indigenous artists which was intended to be a joke, but wasn’t taken that way, is spurring some change and causing some turmoil in the Saskatchewan Country Music Association. SCMA president Wes Labrash says it is a difficult discussion when you have to acknowledge systemic racism exists within the organization, but it is a discussion that had to be had. Saskatoon’s Jarrid Lee asked what had happened to the Indigenous Artist of the Year award. Board member Reg Wilke responded by saying “why should we give them an award when they’re just going to pawn it off anyway?’. Wilkie apologized, and resigned.
