What's up everybody?

My name is Isaac Tonasket.

I'm from the Spokane Indian Reservation.

I'm a Colville tribal member.

And I'm here to sing a couple songs for you guys.

This first song I'm gonna sing is called Nine Lives.

I say I made this song because I like to stress out my mom.

I like to drive fast.

♪ Well, I like to drive like I've got nine lives.

♪ ♪ Cause it has me ♪ ♪ get a lot of things off my mind I never slowing down.

♪ ♪ I got heavy boat.

♪ ♪ Therapy for me is like goin' 130.

♪ ♪ I'm passing everybody in a double line.

♪ ♪ Mama told me.

♪ ♪ Stop driving like a fool.

♪ ♪ People always preach.

♪ ♪ And then they always try to tell me.

♪ ♪ Slow down or you're gonna die.♪ ♪ If I could become a go hoe.

♪ ♪ That's just what I do.♪ ♪ It is what it is.

♪ ♪ But if I die.

♪ ♪ Just know I had me a smiling eye with the pedal to the metal.

♪ This driving like the fool.♪ ♪ Cause every time I leave with all my friends ♪ ♪ I got my mama praying again I hope my baby gets home.

♪ ♪ safe to me ♪ ♪ well here I am, living on the edge.

♪ ♪ Thinking I don't really give a heck.

♪ ♪ You better think twice before you give me the keys.

♪ ♪ Well, I know a guy named hondo♪ ♪ and I'd be lying if I said he ain't gonna last.

♪ ♪ Can't count All the times I thought he'd die.

♪ ♪ There's a few times that he came close.

♪ ♪ My mama always said you don't nine lives.

♪ ♪ But I'm livin like I do all the time ♪ ♪ I don't know if I'm gonna see tomorrow.

♪ ♪ Well I'm haul ass until♪ ♪ I pass I don't really care if I crash.

♪ ♪ If God's going to take me I guess it's time to go.

♪ ♪ Cause every time I leave ♪ ♪ with all my friends, I got my mom praying again.

♪ ♪ I hope my baby gets home safe to me.

♪ ♪ Well, here I am, ♪ ♪ living on the edge thinking I don't really give heck, ♪ ♪ you better think twice before you give me the key.

♪ ♪ Cause every time I leave ♪ ♪ with all my friends, I got my mama praying again ♪ ♪ I hope my baby gets home safe to me.

♪ ♪ Well, here I am, living on the edge.

♪ ♪ Thinking I don't really give heck.

♪ ♪ You better think twice before you give me the keys.

♪ Every time I introduce myself, people are always like, dang, I think that's my artist name.

I'm like, that's my birth name was like, I don't need no artist name.

And they say, where are you from?

Tonasket?

I said, I've only been to Tonasket like twice in my life.

But, The town Tonasket is named after chief Tonasket, and that's one of my descendants.

Now, somewhere down the line, this next.

Song is called I Don't Know.

It's about, some of my bro's.

They're all kind of going through a heartbreak, and, it's actually the first song I ever made on guitar.

♪ I ain't got this feeling.

♪ ♪ You hate me.♪ ♪ I understand more things.♪ ♪ And it's crazy cause I never, ever thought to feel like this.♪ ♪ But you messing with my feelings.

♪ ♪ And it feels like.♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ where to go.

♪ ♪ I'm standing on a cliff.

♪ ♪ And I just might, Cause I really miss my ride ♪ ♪ or die, Am I gonna jump it?

♪ ♪ I don't know, cause the feelin in my heart is getting cold.

♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ where to go.♪ ♪ I don't know, where to go.

♪ ♪ Anymore.

♪ ♪ I don't know.

♪ ♪ Where to go.♪ ♪ Wanna float ♪ ♪ in the sky I'm falling.

♪ ♪ like wanna fly.

♪ ♪ Or can't I just cry if that's okay.

♪ ♪ With you by my side I just might stay ♪ ♪ I can figure it out, I'm heading it now, No cover to me.♪ ♪ Just attacks me.

Now.

♪ ♪ I don't know.

♪ ♪ Where to go.

♪ ♪ I do't♪ ♪ know, where to go.

♪ ♪ Anymore.

♪ ♪ I don't know.

♪ ♪ Where to go.

♪ Man.

It was.

I was always.

I was always scrolling on TikTok, and I was like.

It was like there's always a thing on there, And it says like, you know, boys don't show their emotion.

And I was like, that's so true.

Like, man, I don't show myself crying, you know what I mean?

Like, I'm supposed to be tough.

And, so then I was just thinking I was like, dang, like, what would my dad say to me?

I told my mom.

I was like, mom, I think I want to make a song called Boys Don't Cry.

And she's like, okay.

And then I legit, I made the first half of that song and like five minutes and, and then I freestyled the rest of it, and then I didn't have any guitar for it, and I was like, stuck.

So, I went and showed my, my homie Andrew, Andrew Mattingly and man, we got the chills in the room because he was like, dude, your dad gave you those chords just out of nowhere.

Out of nowhere.

I just got, like, the urge to, like, I need to make a music video to this song.

We recorded that mix of music, that music video.

July 19th, 2023.

My dad passed away July 19th, 2013.

So we recorded that song, that music video, on the day that my dad passed away as ten year Memorial.

And I edited it that night, and I posted it and that video went like so crazy.

♪ Daddy once said Boys don't cry.

♪ ♪ If you're asked how you feel,♪ ♪ just say alright.

♪ ♪ It's the only time it's ♪ ♪ okay to lie ♪ ♪ Don't you cry ♪ ♪ when she says goodbye.♪ ♪ Cause you're supposed to be tough.

♪ ♪ Times are gonna be rough,♪ ♪ You're gonna be falling in and out of love.

♪ ♪ So promise me you just won't cry.

♪ ♪ Well Daddy I tried.

♪ ♪ Times are hard every day.♪ ♪ All I do is drink away the pain.

♪ ♪ I've been praying for change.♪ ♪ I told my mama I'm okay.

♪ ♪ But I'm not okay.

♪ ♪ Daddy ♪ ♪ once said you protect your mom.

♪ ♪ Cause I always ain't gonna be here ♪ ♪ for you, son.♪ ♪ If you run into a problem♪ ♪ you never run.♪ ♪ Be a man and you shoot that gun.

♪ ♪ Cause you're supposed to be tough.

♪ ♪ Times are gonna be rough.

♪ ♪ Life is gonna kick your ass.

♪ ♪ But you gotta get up, so promise me ♪ ♪ you just won't cry, Well ♪ ♪ Daddy, I tried.

♪ ♪ Times are hard every day.♪ ♪ All I do is drink away the pain.

♪ ♪ I've been♪ ♪ praying for change.♪ ♪ I told my mama I'm okay,♪ ♪ but I'm not okay.

♪ ♪ Okay.

Hey.

♪ ♪ Hey, hey.

♪ ♪ Cause you're supposed to be tough times.

♪ ♪ gonna be rough.

♪ ♪ Life is gonna kick your ass♪ ♪ but you gotta get up So promise me you just ♪ ♪ won't cry Well Daddy I tried♪ Me personally, I don't drink, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do none of that.

But, that's why I say that song is part of me and my older brother's story.

All I do is drink away the pain.

I've been praying for a change.

That's part of my brother right there.

Yeah, that's not even in Welpinit man, That man is everywhere.

That's like.

Because you got the Kalispels the Couer d'Alene's, the Nimiipuu like, all all around us, the Colville's And they always say, like they're surprised that I don't drink.

They're surprised that I don't do drugs.

And I tell them that and they say, you know, that's cool.

I'm proud of you for that.

And then, you know, they tell their kids and their kids come up to me and they're like, I want to be like, you.

So I'm, I'm, I'm I feel so happy when they say that.

So, like, me.

And you could totally be something big, you know, like, you don't got to be, you know, got to be all crazy when you want to have a big dream.

These next couple songs are, Native American traditional songs.

And, I'll be singing some round dance songs, and I'll be singing an honor song at the end.

♪ Hey ah hey ah hey hey♪ ♪ oh hey hey hey... ♪ ♪ (native chanting)♪ ♪♪ ♪ When I'm home comes out at night.

♪ ♪ And the stars are in the sky.♪ ♪ Your, Mine.

♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, I heard.

♪ ♪ And you're in my arms.

♪ ♪ My held sway hard, I'm telling you ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ Hey, I hey hey ♪ ♪ hey... ♪ ♪ (Native chanting) Hey ♪ ♪ (Native chanting) Hey ♪ ♪ oh hey hey hey hey... ♪ ♪ When a moon comes out at night.♪ ♪ And the stars are in the sky.♪ ♪ I'm telling you ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ I am.

♪ I definitely get a lot more nervous singing our traditional songs because we got to belt it and like, if you mess up, man, you're gonna get criticized.

Well, you know, I that's how I think you don't really get criticized.

That's just how I think I'm a perfectionist.

I just want to be perfect.

You know what I mean?

But, I like to sing really loud, so, you know, when you're singing that loud, your voice cracks.

And my voice has cracked a couple of times before performing, singing in front of people.

Actually, there's a waterfall called the Multinoma Falls.

And my Auntie Kim was like, all right, we're going to that waterfall Isaac, you got your drum, you should go sing over there by the waterfall.

And I was like, this lady crazy.

I'm not going to go sing in front of all these random people.

my cousin Stephen, my Auntie Kim, they're all like, they finally got me.

They got me talked into it.

So I'm like, right, I guess I'll do it.

And I was 16, about to turn 17.

My birthday was the next day.

I finally did it.

I finally started singing and everyone just stopped.

And you can see the whole line of people just sitting there watching me singing on the bridge (Isaac singing and drumming) singing and drumming) the caption on that video said Isaac singing the song for his dad.

And a lot of people could relate to that.

And there's English words that were going into that song, and a lot of people could relate to that.

Those words and that song is from the Cree Confederation the drum Group.

They're from Canada.

So this next song is, It's another hand drum song.

And, Yeah, it's a love song.

Another love song.

♪ (Native Chanting) ♪ So this next song is, Spokane tribal honor song, and, it's called, Hangman Song or The Chief's Song, and it's about this warrior, and he's, he's about he's about to get hung.

And, the US government asked him if you had any last words, and instead of saying anything, he's sang this song for a medicine song for his people.

♪ (Native Chanting Song)♪