About Marlena

Boozhoo!

Makwawigwamikwe ndizhnikaaz.

Onigamiinsing ndonjibaa.

Migizi ndoodem.

Ninoondaagochige!

Makwawigwamikwe Marlena Boedigheimer was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota and is a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She began playing the tenor saxophone at age 14, inspired after hearing the instrument sampled on Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s “T.R.O.Y”.

Marlena is primarily focused on making music that embodies concepts of Indigenous Futurism through what many would recognize as “free jazz”. Her projects center around the use of the Ojibwe language, Anishinaabemowin, as well as stories from her relatives and ancestors, aiming to raise awareness of the history of her people and the contemporary Ojibwe world. She has performed and recorded with Mato Wayuhi, The Tewa, and other contemporary Indigenous artists across a variety of genres.

While pursuing her Master of Music in Improvisation at the University of Michigan, Marlena studied under Andrew Bishop, Ed Sarath, and Marcus Elliot. Her Masters recital, Makwa Giizis, was comprised of entirely original music surrounding themes of Indigenous resilience, including a five movement suite about her fifth great grandfather, Gichi Weshkiinh (aka Chief Buffalo of La Pointe) and his travels via birchbark canoe from La Pointe, Wisconsin to Washington DC in a successful attempt at protecting Ojibwe lands from the encroaching state and federal governments.

She has independently released several studio and live recordings with her original group, featuring Emanuel Eisele on bass and Ian Hopp on drums, as well as her Michigan group with bassist Stephen Castiglione and drummer Chris Pyke. Many of the projects were recorded on ceded territory in Washburn, Wisconsin on her ancestral land, which brings about a unique essence and injection of energy into the sound.