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Kìzisâ music takes its shape from lifeâs sprawling contours. Kìzis was raised in an intensely religious home to a white mother and an indigenous father in Southern Ontario. She belongs to the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, and attending pow wows as a child formed a significant part of her early inspiration. She later moved to Montreal and formed the indie-pop band Archery Guild. As a trans Two-Spirit person, she says, âSometimes itâs difficult to show who I am, but I use my music and performance to help elaborate my essence.â
Her solo work, first as Mìch Cota and now as Kìzis, weaves the deeply personal with a desire to reach outwards. On her 2018 album
She made a name for herself and eventually created the House of Barbara, a group of Black people who compete together on the ballroom scene, but who, more importantly, are essentially a foster family, she said. She is known as Mother Elle, her children come to her for guidance.
But the relationship she has with people in her house is a reciprocal one, she said. They help her as much as she helps them. The more I allow myself to express my vulnerability, the more they feel that it is OK for them to open up about their hardships and to not be afraid to be judged or be seen as weak.