Anishinaabe Rights Activist
Big Dad The Chairman — Ogichidaa. Artist. Activist. Running for Chairman of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in 2028.
Big Dad The Chairman is a force to be reckoned with — a leader deeply rooted in cultural pride and committed to the rights and dignity of his people. A proud, yet humble, Anishinaabe rights activist, he carries one mission into everything he does — the music, the stage, and the campaign: inspire people, fuse music with education to cross language barriers, and empower healing and community change. Everybody's invited. Make some noise, make a difference.
The Mission: Music With a Purpose
My mission is to inspire, and to fuse music with education to cross language barriers, and to empower, embody healing, and community change. That's not a slogan — it's the work. Big Dad's activism runs through his art: hip hop built on identity, recovery, and standing up for his people. On stage he's a Minnesota hip hop artist. In the community he's an Ogichidaa — a leader — using that same voice for the rights and dignity of the Leech Lake Ojibwe people and Native communities across Minnesota.
The work shows up as
Youth music & storytelling programming — bringing music, culture, and real talk to young people in Native and community programs
Community events & cultural gatherings — hosting, performing, and showing up where his people gather
Recovery advocacy through example — in recovery since December 7, 2023, sharing a story of overcoming adversity and addiction so others know it's possible
Jobs & opportunity for the community — building businesses in northern Minnesota (Bemidji / Leech Lake area) designed to create work for American Indian community members
Guided by the 7 Grandfather Teachings
As Anishinaabe Ogichidaa, the 7 Grandfather Teachings are Big Dad's central and guiding beliefs — in his music, his activism, and how he will lead:
Wisdom — to cherish knowledge
Love — to know peace
Respect — to honor all of creation
Bravery — to face challenges with integrity
Honesty — to be true in word and action
Humility — to know yourself as part of creation
Truth — to know and live all of these teachings
Chairman 4 Chairman — Running for Chairman in 2028
The name isn't just a stage name. Big Dad The Chairman is running for Chairman of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in 2028 — Vote #BigDadTheChairman. He brings to that run what he's built his whole career on: he's a master of communication, a versatile artist, and a leader who doesn't just talk about community — he performs for it, programs for its youth, and builds for its future. The campaign and the music carry the same message, because they're the same mission: Make Some Noise. Make a Difference. His latest album is literally named for it: Chairman 4 Chairman — streaming now on all platforms.
My platform is the 7 Grandfather Teachings — Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth. That’s not a slogan. That’s how I’ll govern.
This is the Purple Peoples Party revolution — the people, the teachings, and the music, moving as one.
The Music Is the Message
Big Dad's catalog is activism you can play. Songs like "Native Outlaw" and "ilove the government" (from Project "BlackBox": EGO JURIS, 2026) take on identity, sovereignty, and power head-on — soul, trap, and hip-hop carrying stories of the Leech Lake Ojibwe community to rooms that might never hear them any other way. That's the point of fusing music with education: a beat crosses a language barrier that a speech can't. A kid who won't sit for a lecture will memorize a hook — so the hook carries the teaching.
Invite Big Dad to Speak, Host, or Perform
Schools, tribal colleges, youth programs, cultural events, and community organizations: Big Dad brings music and storytelling programming that connects, educates, and inspires — activism in a form people actually stay in the room for. Available across Minnesota, based in Minneapolis with roots in Walker and the Leech Lake Ojibwe community.
bigdadthechairman1@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Big Dad The Chairman an activist?
Yes. Big Dad The Chairman is a proud, yet humble, Anishinaabe rights activist committed to the rights and dignity of his people. As an Anishinaabe Ogichidaa, the 7 Grandfather Teachings are his central and guiding beliefs, and his mission is to inspire, fuse music with education to cross language barriers, and empower healing and community change.
Is Big Dad The Chairman running for office?
Yes. Big Dad The Chairman is running for Chairman of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in 2028.
What does Big Dad The Chairman stand for?
Cultural pride, the rights and dignity of his people, healing and community change, and using music and education to empower Native youth and communities across Minnesota — guided in all of it by the 7 Grandfather Teachings: wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth.
What is Big Dad The Chairman's connection to the Leech Lake Ojibwe community?
Big Dad is a Minneapolis-based artist with roots in Walker, Minnesota and the Leech Lake Ojibwe community. His 2028 run for Chairman of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe grows out of that community, and his business and programming work is focused on creating opportunity for American Indian community members in northern Minnesota.
How can I support or book Big Dad The Chairman?
Become a "ChairFan" and join the Chairman's Lounge through his links page, stream and share the music (start with the album Chairman 4 Chairman), and for speaking, hosting, youth programming, or performances, send the details through the contact form on bigdadthechairman.com.