THUNDER BAY - Things are moving fast for Benjamin Murray.
At 30 years of age, speaking at a United Nations event in New York is the latest of many milestones for the Thunder Bay-based recording artist.
The 2018 recipient of Thunder Bay’s “Respect Award,” Benjamin Murray is a member of the local collective “Ghetto Children Collective.”
In April, he travelled to New York City to speak at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which he described as an overwhelming experience.
The two-week forum serves as an advisory body to the UN's economic and social council. It submits recommendations to the council on issues related to indigenous peoples.“This year for was for learning, next year is for implementation.”
In recent years, Murray turned his attention to youth outreach, and helping provide media platforms for young artists in Indigenous communities.
“I found when I went to those communities, kids are afraid to come [to Thunder Bay] for schooling,” he said. “I wanted to give them a place where they knew someone and they could build upon that relationship.”
Murray is originally from Sipekne'katik First Nation in Nova Scotia. He grew up in Thunder Bay and attended St. Patrick High School where he said he faced a lot of hardship as a youth.
The death of two of his close friends in early October inspired him to use his status as a recording artist and become more involved in youth outreach.
“I noticed one of their nephews was really struggling. He was like a father to him... I just didn’t want him to go down that path.
“I’m focused on community because of the fact I grew up here. I was a youth here, I experienced addiction. I experienced the loss a lot of my friends. I have children now and I didn’t want them to see the same thing.”
Murray was also nominated as the communications officer for North America’s youth caucus at the United Nations. He says the recognition is not as important as what it can be used towards.
“In our culture it’s not really about that,” he said. “But it’s good in the sense that I can leverage it to get the grants and recognition these kids deserve.”
Murray also helped produce a film about addiction called Dying in Vein in 2018, and plans to open a recording studio in Thunder Bay.