[2] The Boley's involvement with Native American music began when Ray was asked by the Phoenix Little Theater to record a Navajo singer named Ed Lee Natay.
Boley was so taken with what he heard that he recorded a collection of songs titled Natay, Navajo Singer, an album still in active release.
In an era when Native Americans were a little-understood, often ignored, and frequently oppressed minority, Canyon Records served as an important validation of their music, artists, culture, and community.
Despite this resistance, the Boleys succeeded in building a distribution network throughout the western United States and Canada to sell Canyon titles as well those of other Native American music producers.
In 1984, in an attempt to semi-retire, the Boleys sold their store and distribution company (which still operates under the name Drumbeat Indian Arts) to focus solely on production.
Canyon has also developed new forms of Native American music by such artists as Louie Gonnie; Cheevers Toppah, Alex Smith & Kit Landry; Randy Wood; Jay & Tiinesha Begaye among many talented performers.
Canyon also continues to work with artists in Pow-Wow music (Black Lodge, Northern Cree, Tha Tribe, Elk Soldier, Warscout) Native Church Music (Verdell Primeaux, Kevin Yazzie, Louie Gonnie, Gerald Primeaux) and chicken scratch (Thee Express, Southern Scratch).