Missoula Artist Supports Local Indian Reservation Through Hip Hop

Tahj Kjelland is a local MC who's calling has brought him to aid the teenagers in the Fort Peck reservation. "I've been helping organizations that have been geared towards teaching kids how to utilize Hip Hop to express themselves. Once I started to see their world view on the reservation, I felt (a need) to give kids an ability to express themselves."

While most of America is suffering from an economic downturn, the reservations in Montana seem to be hit the hardest with unemployment onwards and upwards of around 70 to 80%. Kjelland sees the community affected by impoverished conditions and realizes that the kids seem to be suffering the most. His hope is to become an outlet to allow the children to get what is off their chest in the form of music. "I just love to actually watch them go through the mind mapping process of writing a poem or rap and being able to spit it to their counterparts, and community or friends."

Thaj's latest collaboration is with the Fort Peck reservation high school students and is appropriately titled "Express To Speak". The images and music tie together perfectly to form an eye-opening vision of what it is like to walk a mile in the shoes of Indian children who are attempting to seek answers through music.