When 18-year-old DeeDee Austin stepped onto the Canada’s Got Talent stage, she wasn’t just there to sing—she came to deliver a message the world needed to hear. Representing the Abegweit First Nation and hailing from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, DeeDee stunned both the judges and the audience with her powerful original song, Buried Truth, a raw, unflinching tribute to her great-grandmother and the generations of Indigenous people affected by Canada’s residential school system.

Before she even sang a note, DeeDee shared that her late great-grandmother had survived one of these notorious schools, where thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families and stripped of their language, identity, and culture. Her song was a voice for them—a haunting, emotional reminder of a dark past too many still know too little about.

As the lyrics unfolded, the room fell silent. She sang of pain, loss, and survival. Of truth hidden beneath the surface. Of the importance of facing the past to heal the future.

And when she finished? There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Judge Howie Mandel, visibly shaken, didn’t hesitate. With one slam of his hand, the Golden Buzzer exploded—and golden confetti rained down over DeeDee as she broke down in tears. The audience rose to their feet, not just in awe of her voice, but in deep respect for her courage.

“You just told the story of a nation,” one audience member said. “Not just Canada’s, but one that still echoes in communities across the world.”

This wasn’t just a performance—it was a moment. A moment of truth. A moment of healing. A moment that millions will carry with them long after the music ends.

DeeDee Austin is more than a rising star—she’s a voice for the voiceless, and the world is finally listening.