English 181 - 001

Dr. Mandy Suhr-Sytsma

Amanda Henry
09/05/16
Cant Escape That Things Have to Change

As I click Dancin on the Run Music Video Story on YouTube, Inez Jasper appears on
the screen as two faces. Her use of a special computer filter causes the viewer to see two images
of the artist instead of just one. She is upbeat and passionate about her song, explaining that she
created it to spread awareness of a time in history when certain Indigenous ceremonies were
banned. In the video, Inez tells a story about people calling the police during the filming of her
music video due to their objection to the loud drumming in the video (Dancin on the Run).
She uses social media and her music to bring awareness to prejudices she and other Indigenous
Peoples of North America face. I use evidence from her song Dancin on the Run, her music
video, as well as my research on Inez to briefly identify some key aspects of the rhetorical
situation at play, including purpose, audience, and context. I then closely read the chorus to
argue that the word choice and repetition of the song lyrics especially reinforces the context and
advances the songs purpose.
As a Canadian Aboriginal, Inez Jasper was born and raised on the Skowkale First Nation
located in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada. She uses her music to spread
awareness about issues Indigenous people face or have faced in the past. One of her popular
songs, Dancin on the Run, is about the Potlatch Ban. Inez explains in a YouTube video that
around 1884 Canada passed a law preventing Aboriginal people from practicing [her nation's]
culture. [Their] ceremonies, dancing, singingit was totally banned and it was enforced by
Indian agents and the police (Dancin on the Run). This explains why the name of her song is
Dancin on the Run. The law was repealed in 1951, but up until that time it was really hard for
Aboriginal people to make sure their traditions could survive. Some people were put in prison

and Inez wrote her song to spread awareness about the Potlatch Ban, but also to honor those who
put their life on the line to practice their traditions (Dancin on the Run). In the music video of
Dancin on the Run, an Indian Agent is shown chasing Inez and her friends (Inez Jasper).
This is another reference to the Potlatch Ban and how many Indigenous people had to secretly
sing and dance on the run so that Indian Agents would not put them in jail. Inezs song is
about a law that many people may not know about but one that is important to know about in
order to shed light on the plight of the Indigenous Peoples of North America.
The purpose of Dancin on the Run is increase awareness, but also to unify and activate
supporters who will take action to create change in the treatment of Indigenous peoples. Inez
explains in an interview the importance of her upbringing on the reservation and how the music
that she was exposed to influences the music she creates today. She says, I was always around
powwows, family singing on hand drum and of course the radio was always blasting at my
house. Family dinners always featured a traditional dinner song, guitars came out and family
sang and harmonized (PowWows). By writing the song Dancin on the Run she not only
spreads awareness about a dark time in history for Indigenous people but also hopes to make sure
that an injustice like this does not happen again for future generations. Young Indigenous people
should have the same access to the music that made such a big impact on Inezs life. Another
way of making sure this is always possible is to, not only unify Indigenous people, but nonindigenous peoples as well. The song lyrics sing it, just sing it with me and today things are
gonna change strive to bring together people to make a difference. Change cannot be made by
one person and Inezs music is able to reach a larger audience so that people will hopefully work
together to make a difference. Toward the end of the music video of Dancin on the Run, the

Indian Agent joins Inez and her friends as they dance (Inez Jasper). By opening the eyes of
others, they are slowly changing the perception others have of Indigenous people.
One may think that Inezs only audience is Indigenous people but she hopes to also unify
with non-indigenous peoples as well, in order to create change. In her song she says, you cant
escape that things are gonna change (Jasper). Inez is unable to create change without the help
of others and in the music video the Indian Agent joins her and her friends in the end, taking a
stand against the intolerances. Inez also reaches out to Indigenous people and hopes to dance
together and work with them (Jasper). In her YouTube video she talks about an instance where
people were prejudiced towards the drumming in her video and resorted to calling the police
(Dancin on the Run). Inez found it ironic that during the filming of the music video about the
Potlatch Ban, she and her friends were still experiencing similar treatment in this modern day.
Inez also feels that it is important to help inspire young Indigenous people to achieve whatever
goals they set for themselves. She says in an interview that she hopes to uplift people and give
them hope for a better future. Inez hopes that young people can see that embracing [their]
culture can not only be fulfilling and help consolidate [their] identity as Indigenous peoplebut
it can also be totally fun! (PowWows). She cares a lot about young people and her music is
written to support them.
Through a closer reading of the chorus of Dancin on the Run, the context of the song
is reinforced. The word choice no matter what they say, no matter what they do, and no
matter what they want all refer to the Potlatch Ban (Jasper). They refers to the Canadian
government who said that Aboriginal people could not practice ceremonies with song and dance.
The government created legislature and put Indian Agents and police officers in place to

enforce the law. The goal of this action was to facilitate assimilation and destroy the traditions of
Indigenous nations.
The chorus also advances the songs purpose through the promotion of unity. Some of
the song lyrics are we gonna dance together and we gonna dance forever (Jasper). Through
the word choice of we this suggests that more than one person will participate in the dancing.
Inezs music video and interviews allow us to assume that the we referenced is Indigenous
peoples as well as other non-indigenous peoples. The choice of the word forever signifies that
change is inevitable and the Indigenous nations are strong and willing to fight for their right to
embrace their traditions.
My analysis of Inezs song is important to me because when I learned the context and
purpose of the song I became more aware of the challenges Canadian Aboriginal people face. I
hope that my analysis of the lyrics helps others understand the meaning of the song and
facilitates its purpose of spreading awareness. I think that I, and others, could build upon this
research of Inezs song Dancin on the Run by learning about the ceremonies of different
Indigenous nations and their importance in the lives of Indigenous Peoples of North America.
Also, I think that research into all of the prejudices that they experienced in the past and continue
to experience today can expand the audiences understanding and empathy, further promoting the
change Inez hopes to make through her song.

Work Cited

InezMusic. ""Dancin' on the Run" Music Video Story." YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 06 Sept.
2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqiGB_83HLA
InezMusic. "Inez Jasper - "Dancin' on the Run" [Official Music Video]." YouTube. YouTube,
2013. Web. 06 Sept. 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgOluBcedw0
Jasper, Inez. Dancin on the Run. Letsemot Music, 2013.
PowWows. "BURN ME DOWN! An Interview with APCMA Winner Inez Jasper."
PowWowscom Native American Pow Wows RSS. #, 2014. Web. 06 Sept. 2016.