Tia Wood has come home after moving to Los Angeles, California, and signing with Sony Music last year.
Wood is a 24-year-old Indigenous singer and songwriter from Saddle Lake, a First Nations community in central Alberta located 30 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
Wood’s journey to stardom is defined by her culture, passion, family, and dedication to overcoming impossible odds.
After surviving a near fatal car crash in 2012 that collapsed both her lungs and fractured her vertebrae, Wood turned to prayer and healing ceremonies to aid her recovery.
She was told she would never sing or dance the same again, but that didn’t stop her from pushing forward.
Wood is now one of Alberta’s most successful Indigenous musical artists, with over 300,000 followers on Instagram and over two million followers on TikTok.
Fame can get to most people’s heads, but Wood remains grounded in her roots. She returned to Saddle Lake to film a music video to acknowledge her background.
Wood’s music video is for her debut single, Dirt Roads, a song about longing for home.
She wrote the song in Los Angeles but knew she had to film the video in Saddle Lake.
“It just made sense to come film this here. It showcases where I come from… the way I grew up,” Wood told Rocky Mountain Outlook.
When she moved to Los Angeles’ concrete jungle, the people riding on horseback, familiar roads, culture, and open spaces disappeared.
When she moved to Los Angeles, Wood often felt like she didn’t belong, which is something many youths in Alberta can sympathize with.
The Spirit Of Never Giving Up
“What am I doing here? I miss home, and I miss my people. And that’s when the inspiration for the song came about,” said Wood as she explained the meaning behind ‘Dirt Roads.’
When Wood was about to quit, her manager suggested she give her music career in Los Angeles one more chance.
She did, and now Wood is signed with the second-largest record company in the world. Wood’s latest music video symbolizes her success and celebrates the community she grew up in.
On May 16, Wood invited the community to a feast and an Indian relay race, where competitors raced on horseback without gear.
Wood was anxious that people wouldn’t show up for her music video, but her worries were quickly washed away after many community members showed up.
Wood is both thankful and proud of her upbringing. She credits the Saddle Lake community and her parents for shaping her into who she is today.
Wood’s journey to stardom was filled with challenges, but she persevered and overcame them. She encourages other Indigenous people to do the same.
“You are so capable of doing anything you want. It doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter the deck of cards you get in life… you could do it,” stated Wood.
Wood is one of many Indigenous youths who have chosen a path off-reserve.
In 2006, over 70 percent of Canadians who identify as Indigenous did not live on reserve.
Wood plans on releasing a new song on June 21 to honour National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Fans can also expect a tour across Canada and the United States, including performances at the Calgary Stampede.
Stay tuned for her upcoming release and the new video coming this summer.
Follow Tia on Instagram and TikTok.
