When the Native American music album category was eliminated from the Grammys in 2011, Steve Wood thought that Northern Cree’s run of nominations had likely reached its end but the group’s co-founder was delighted to have been proven wrong. “We thought it might be a little tougher to get back, but we got nominated which is pretty darn cool!” Wood said excitedly.

The award-winning Alberta-based indigenous singing group’s album “It’s a Cree Thing” has received its seventh Grammy nod in the category for best regional roots music. What’s more, Northern Cree will be kicking off the pre-telecast festivities in Los Angeles with a performance during the afternoon ceremony on Sunday, where awards will be handed out in approximately 70 categories.

Wood said while the song they’ll be performing is still undetermined, it was important to the group to authentically represent both themselves and their heritage when they take to the stage. “I want to make sure the audience knows that we still exist and we still have our language and we still have our song and dance. We’re still very much here,” he said. “We’re probably going to open up with a number in our traditional language. The music will be there, but all of the lyrics will be in Cree, because I just think if we open up with a number with English lyrics that’s not really us.”