Jade Turner and her family are from Misipawistik Cree Nation , known in English as “Grand Rapids.” She was raised in the northern communities of Manitoba. She often competed in singing contests as a kid, even though she lived in a lot of different communities as her mother moved frequently with her nursing job. After being bullied at one school when she was 7 or 8 years old, Turner pretended to get on the school bus one morning but actually skipped classes and hid in the woods, biding her time until it was time to go back home.
After that incident Turner was sent to live with her father in Misipawistik Cree Nation, where he served as chief, until her mother completed her term. In the years that followed, taking comfort in music helped Turner get through the bullying and also gave her an outlet to express herself.
Turner lives in Selkirk, Manitoba, and works as a millwright, also called an industrial mechanic. For some jobs she drives four hours to the site, then stays for a week before driving four hours home. The time on the road has proven beneficial for her songwriting output. Although she knows that her songwriting approach is unusual, it’s already helped her earn nominations from the Western Canadian Music Awards and the Manitoba Country Music Awards – with the latter naming her the Emerging Artist of the Year in 2018.
After her last album North Country, a pregnancy led to an extended bed rest, and then the pandemic hit which has put her touring and recording plans on hold. Now with a young son and more new songs on the way, she’s as determined as ever to share her music with the world.
