National Aboriginal Day in Canada - Voices that inspire

June 21 each year is a chance for Canadians and indigenous people to reflect on the contributions, culture and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people across the country.

Indigenous communities across Canada have produced many inspiring voices over the years, such as artists, singers, authors and politicians.

These voices influence opinion, policy and perception, while progressively staking out a strong place for themselves in Canadian public life.

Here are 10 indigenous voices in Canada that have inspired us over the years.

Ta'Kaiya Blaney

Ta'Kaiya Blaney emerged in 2010 with "Shallow Waters," a heartfelt song that expressed the young artist's concerns about the threats that oil spills pose to oceans. She has since become a prominent voice opposing the Northern Gateway pipeline, which would transport oil from Alberta to B.C.'s coast for shipping to Asian markets.

Phil Fontaine

In 1990, as the Oka Crisis played out in Quebec, Phil Fontaine became one of the first people to speak out about sexual abuse in the residential school system. He has since become one of the most visible voices advocating on behalf of indigenous people. As national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, he helped negotiate the Indian Residential Schools Settlement, an agreement that established payouts to survivors and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Guujaaw

Haida activist Guujaaw played a key role in the establishment of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve after protesting logging in the area. He later served as president of the Council of the Haida Nation for 13 years, a role in which he undertook a successful effort to rename B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands as "Haida Gwaii," which means "islands of the people."

Elijah Harper

In 1990, with an eagle feather in his hand, Manitoba MLA Elijah Harper helped scuttle the Meech Lake Accord, saying that First Nations were not consulted in discussions toward constitutional amendments that would have recognized Quebec as a "distinct society." Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells later refused to hold a vote on the accord, and it fell apart. Harper would later be elected as an NDP MP. He died in 2013.

Wab Kinew

The host of CBC's "8th Fire" documentary series has emerged as one of the most prominent voices articulating indigenous issues in Canada. He was a regular fixture on television as Idle No More protests swept across the country in 2012 and he has since raised his intellectual profile with a successful defense of Joseph Boyden's "The Orenda" in the Canada Reads literary battle. More recently, he was floated as a possible candidate to succeed Shawn Atleo as national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Clarence Louie

Chief Clarence Louie sees economic development as the way forward for B.C.'s Osoyoos Indian Band. It owns vineyards, a golf course and a desert cultural centre. Though Louie is a controversial figure among some indigenous people, prominent politicians such as Prime Minister Stephen Harper look to him as an "example of entrepreneurial spirit," according to CBC.

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Once blacklisted by the U.S. government for producing work that could "encourage widespread citizen protest," Saskatchewan-born artist Buffy Sainte-Marie has built a career around songs of love and dissent. Her "Universal Soldier" became a popular anti-war anthem in the '60s, while her love song "Up Where We Belong" won an Academy Award for best song after it was featured on the soundtrack for "An Officer and a Gentleman." But she has also been a strong spokesperson for indigenous rights, standing against the Kinzua Dam that had displaced part of New York's Seneca Reservation.

Murray Sinclair

Murray Sinclair has spent decades seeking justice for indigenous people. He became his province's first indigenous justice when he was named associate chief judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba. He was handed an enormous responsibility when he was named chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2009, a role in which he oversaw testimony from residential school survivors in an effort to educate Canadians about the system's destructive effects on First Nations, Inuit and Metis people.

Tanya Tagaq

Not unlike Buffy Sainte-Marie, Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq is out to defeat stereotypes. In 2012, the Toronto International Film Festival commissioned her to do a soundscape for the silent documentary "Nanook of the North," effectively reclaiming a film which she said had a "bunch of bullshit happy Eskimo stereotypes." And that's just one work that makes her an inspiring artist. More recently, she was harassed online by anti-seal hunt activists after posting a "Sealfie" with her baby next to a dead seal. She fought back against her tormentors and ended up shutting down one of their Twitter accounts with the help of police. We can't wait to see what she does next.

Sheila Watt-Cloutier

This Inuit activist has dedicated her life to ensuring the health and cultural survival of her people. She partook in negotiations toward the Stockholm Convention, which banned persistent organic pollutants that were contaminating the Arctic. She also made climate change a human rights issue when she filed a petition against the U.S. to the Inter-American Commission, alleging that its refusal to reduce emissions was threatening the Inuit.

Idle No More

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