Local to Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, a metropolitan area boasting over a million citizens, The Halluci Nation (formerly known as A Tribe Called Red) has long pursued a mission larger than the music itself.

The musical duo, Bear Witness and 2oolman (hailing from the Mohawk and Cayuga First Nations, respectively) were back in the United States for the first time since the pandemic on Wednesday to perform their signature blend of electronic and Indigenous music called “powwow step” at the Cedar Cultural Center, kicking off their 2021 tour.

Wednesday’s show reflected their goal of creating a safe space for Indigneous concert-goers. Many at the show donned long braids, intricately beaded earrings and an assortment of “Stop Line 3” attire. It was The Halluci Nation’s first indoor show since the pandemic began nearly a year and a half ago. Even though masks were optional for the fully-vaccinated audience, many still chose to wear one.

“It’s not always easy to claim space as an Indigenous person in an urban center because you’re always expected not to exist there,” Bear Witness said.

Although figures show that 45% of Indigenous people in Canada and 72% of Indigenous people in the United States currently live in urban areas, Native activists say this reality is rarely portrayed in mainstream media.

“I think it’s really important for non-Indigenous people to see the way we represent ourselves today because that is something that is made completely invisible. Most people, if they have any idea of Indigenous culture, it’s about something very set and rooted in the past,” Bear Man said.

The Halluci Nation and their subgenre of powwow step brings the communal values of the powwow to music venues. By incorporating tradition through Indigenous singing samples and consistently heavy drums, The Halluci Nation uses elements of contemporary dance genres, like reggaeton or dubstep, to create a space for Indegenious audiences on modern dance floors.

Many of The Halluci Nation’s shows feature background videos. This one, however, opted for a pair of dancers in brightly colored outfits that ranged from tasseled powwow regalia to the Nike Air Maxes and sweats that resembled the wardrobe of hip-hop dancers.

One of the two dancers, ever-concentrated on her complicated footwork, looked young enough to still be in middle school. The other was prone to sudden bursts of breakdancing and brought out five hula hoops for a finale of swinging tricks. Needless to say, the dancing more than sufficed as a visual element –– one wholly unique to The Halluci Nation’s culture.

“Especially in a city like this, you’re going to see a concentration of Indigenous people that you might not see in a club,” Bear Witness said of the largely Indigenous audiences at their show.

Wednesday was not The Halluci Nation’s first performance in Minneapolis, nor do they plan for it to be their last.

“[Minneapolis is] always a great stop on the road — we got lots of people here,” 2oolman said.

The powwow step music group released their fourth studio album this year titled “One More Saturday Night,” and said they plan to release more new content soon.

“Me and Bear have some sort of groove right now, we are already on our next project,” 2oolman said.