Bullet, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Northern Wisconsin is nominated in the Best Tribute Song category for “I’m a Vet,” a song Bullet wrote for the late Richie Plaas of Menominee. He is also nominated for Best Animated Video with his wife Pam Nesbit for “The Virus Song.”

Other nominations from the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Nation include Darren Thompson for Best Native Flute and three Rising Stars — Jasmine Plasky for “Changes,” Mylicia “MyMy Rose” Rivera for “I Got Shoes,” and the group The Voices for “I Wanna Cry.”

Plasky is a student at Lakeland Union High School in Minocqua, Wis. and Rivera attends the Lac du Flambeau Public School. Both girls participate in the “Music on the Go” program, which Bullet and Nesbit help facilitate. Both girls co-wrote the lyrics to their songs and Bullet helped the girls set the lyrics to music.

Online voting began on Jan. 21 and will continue until the end of March. Vote at https://nativeamericanmusicawards.com/home. Plans are for a NAMA virtual awards show to be in the spring when the winners will be announced.

Bullet works with and Jasmine Plasky, Rising Star nominee for “Changes.”

Bullet, who recently turned 80, has a musical career spanning more than 70 years. His storysongs build educational and emotional bridges often focusing on critical issues for First Peoples, including broken treaties, genocide, injustice for all peoples and love of Mother Earth.

Bullet’s honors include a Native American Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award, Wisconsin Arts Board Folk Arts Apprenticeship Master of Traditions Songwriter Mentorship, and a Milwaukee Indian Summer Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

Originally from Hayward, Wis., Bullet has mentored young First People’s students songwriters from Milwaukee, Lac du Flambeau and Iron River. He guides their interest in singer/songwriting focusing on First People’s treaties, Indian law, language and recording and producing CDs.

For International Women’s Day on March 8, a Waaswaaganing NAMA Nomination Day was held, honoring Bullet and the other nominees. The song “I Wanna Cry,” written and produced by Bullet, was to be performed by The Voices. The song brings attention to the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

According to a 2016 National Institute of Justice, 84 percent of Native women have experienced violence in their lifetimes. A 2018 study by the Urban Indian Health Institute found that among 506 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls cases, 28 percent of the perpetrators were never found guilty or held accountable. The youngest victim was under the age of 1 and the oldest was an 83-year-old elder.

“I Wanna Cry” track is available on the Native American Music Awards website.