William Lawrence Dunn, known professionally as Willie Dunn, was a Canadian singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. Dunn was of mixed Mi'kmaq and Scottish-Irish heritage and frequently highlighted indigenous issues. A breakthrough occurred in 1968 with the song and short film “The Ballad of Crowfoot” (1968), which received a Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival. Albums include Willie Dunn (1971) and The Pacific (1980). Dunn composed “Son of the Sun” (1971), later covered by Kashtin. Dunn was inducted into the Aboriginal Walk of Honour in 2005. Anthologies include Metallic (1999), Son of the Sun (2004), and Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology (2021). Dunn was also active in politics, serving as a federal candidate for the New Democratic Party in 1993. Dunn died in 2013.
