Jaaji is the lead male voice and songwriter for the multi-award-winning, chart-topping Indigenous folk duo Twin Flames. Jaaji is also a public figure, published author, model, and actor. He has contributed to many community wellness campaigns and continues to dedicate his time to raising awareness about Canada’s past from an Indigenous perspective. Jaaji is a proud father and mentor. 

“Jaaji” is an Inuit name derived from the English “George.” Jaaji grew up in a humble fly-in community called Quaqtaq in Northern Nunavik, QC. His grandparents raised him in the traditional ways of the Inuit. Much of his songwriting reflects this upbringing by depicting life on the land. Jaaji spent his childhood summers with his biological father in Kahnawake, a reserve of the traditionally Iroquoian-speaking Mohawk nation on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. He was raised in two different worlds and cultures. He advocates for language revitalization and preservation, passionate about including the Inuttitut language in his songs. 

In 2014, Jaaji decided to commit to music full-time. With his first album Nunaga, he won Indigenous Language Album of the Year at the 2015 Indigenous Music Awards. 

Before his music career, Jaaji served as a police officer for 12 years in Quaqtaq, QC and Kuujjuaq in the Nunavik region of Quebec. After he retired from policing, he served as a behavioural tech at the local high school in Quaqtaq. He also took on the role of a cultural teacher, implementing projects that offered Inuit youth opportunities for land-based learning. He further worked for Makivik as the head of the Inuit Dog Slaughter compensation files. Jaaji lives a life of sobriety and shares his recovery story openly.