James Pakootas | 2022 Native Launchpad Artist

ARTIST WEBSITE

Tribal Affiliation: Enrolled Colville Confederated tribal member (Moses/Columbia, Chelan, Entiat, Wenatchi, San Poil, Sinixt Bands)

Artistic Discipline: Music

Location: Spokane, WA

James Pakootas, otherwise known as “Just Jamez”, is a modern-day story weaver. He is an influential, multi-award winning artist, producer, and filmmaker who cultivates change in the world through the power of words. Being an enrolled member of The Colville Confederated Tribes, James connects with audiences of all ages by sharing his captivating life story through a Native lens. He comes from people whose future, present and past are expressed through art, song, and movement. As a vocalist who creates conscious hip hop and spoken word poetry, he carries on this tradition. James tells stories — stories that empower, stories that fascinate, and stories that speak truth to our existence.

Above all else, James is a survivor. The core of his content speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, a deep understanding of trauma, and connection; the never-ending pathway back to ourselves. Whether performing with his music collective, creating new bodies of work in music and film, or working with, and mentoring teams of multi-generational artists, James influences audiences of all ages to rise above their circumstances and chase dreams worth living.