What is Indigenous Theatre in Canada and why is that Important for Grassroots "Rez" Theatre?

This presentation will give an overview of Indigenous theatre in Canada based on Ramona's literature review for her dissertation. She will also share real examples of how she brought theatre to her high school and to her community and more importantly, how we can keep it alive!

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Ramona Big Head's Blackfoot name is "Aakaistsisskaakii" which is translated as Many Sweat Lodge Woman. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is an educator with 30 years experience in theatre. She taught high school English and Drama for 14 years and has written, directed and produced about 30 productions both at the high school and community level. Ramona wrote and directed a play about the 1870 Bear River Massacre for her M.Ed Thesis and took 20 Blackfoot children to New York City to perform her play. Ramona has served on various boards for theatre companies and just recently launched a community theatre company: Reztown Theatre.  Reztown theatre runs a weekly theatre club for both the "Rez" kids and the "Town" (non-Indigenous) kids from the border town of the Blood Reserve where she resides.  Ramona is currently working on her PhD dissertation which examines the correlation or relationship between theatre and Blackfoot or Kainai identity. Ramona is currently the assistant superintendent with Peigan Board of Education. 

Reaching Forward - Emerging Artists’ Panel

Join three young artists from different nations across Turtle Island as they connect and share their stories with both us and each other. Speaking from their experiences developing their projects, they will talk about being Indigenous artists, finding their way, and how the rest of us can support young artists.

The future is the youth, so let’s see what the future has in store!

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Brefny Caribou (she/her) is a performer, writer, and educator of Cree/Irish-settler descent based in Tkaronto. Holding an MFA in Acting from York University she loves reimagining traditional theatrical practices, telling Indigenous stories, and making people giggle. As a writer, she has developed her solo piece Savage is a Word in the English Dictionary with Aluna Theatre (Winter Artist’s Residency ‘21) and the Animikiig Creators Unit at Native Earth Performing Arts. Brefny has taught with Sheridan College as an Acting Tutorial teacher since 2019 and is entering her 3rd year facilitating the Indigenous Arts Program at the Paprika Festival.

Introduction to the Indigenous Theatre Collection - Theatre Alberta

Theatre Alberta launched our Indigenous Library Collections Management Policy in the fall of 2024, seeking to increase Indigenous access to our Theatre Library. This includes increasing the number of Indigenous titles and introducing a policy for discriminatory and culturally insensitive titles. This session is a presentation followed by a Q&A.

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Caleigh Crow is a playwright, director, and performer from Mohkinstsis. She is the co-founder of Thumbs Up Good Work Theatre. In 2024 she was honoured to receive the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama for her play There is Violence, There is Righteous Violence, and There is Death or, The Born-Again Crow. Caleigh is also a director, and had the pleasure of directing antigone lives* by Susanna Fournier for WhyNot Theatre, Yisstsiyi at the University of Lethbridge, and has assistant director credits at Vertigo Theatre and Theatre Calgary. She is proud to serve as President of the Board of Directors at Theatre Alberta.

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Theatre Alberta is a provincial arts service organization and registered charity committed to encouraging the growth of theatre in Alberta. We offer a wide range of programs and services to theatre students, professional artists, educators, and enthusiasts, as well as to schools and community and professional theatre companies. In 2024 Theatre Alberta worked on a major project in our Library—the Indigenous Theatre Collection. Under the direction of Deborah Lee as Theatre Alberta’s Indigenous Theatre Collection Manager (Librarian), this project engaged an Indigenous Theatre Advisory Council with six artists who have strong Indigenous theatre connections to Alberta to develop a new, separate “collection management policy” for Indigenous theatre materials in the Theatre Alberta Library. The new policy guides the celebration, purchasing, cataloguing, and promotion of plays and theatre reference materials written by Indigenous playwrights, performers, and theatre artists.

Reaching Forward - Emerging Artists’ Panel

Join three young artists from different nations across Turtle Island as they connect and share their stories with both us and each other. Speaking from their experiences developing their projects, they will talk about being Indigenous artists, finding their way, and how the rest of us can support young artists.

The future is the youth, so let’s see what the future has in store!

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Theresa Cutknife (she/her) is an Alberta-born, Toronto-based actor, writer, and storyteller of Nêhiyaw and Puerto Rican descent, and a proud member of the Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacîs, Alberta, situated in Treaty 6 Territory. An alumna of The Centre for Indigenous Theatre, the 2023 Soulpepper Academy, and most recently the 2024 CBC/CFC Actors Conservatory Theresa splits her time working professionally in theatre and tv/film industries alongside her independent writing and producing practices. Theresa’s co-written play Talk Treaty To Me received two Sterling Award nominations for Outstanding Fringe Ensemble and Outstanding Fringe New Work at the 2023 Edmonton Fringe Festival. Theresa is passionate about creating stories that honour her cultural heritage and resonate across communities.

Indigenous Tomorrow

What is meant by futurism? Where do we see ourselves in 30, 100 or 500 years? Is the science fiction that we see the same for us all? Will we be living in a landscape of high-tech and machinery? Will we continue to walk with the land that feeds us? Somewhere in the middle?

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Christine Genier is a Wolf Clan citizen of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. Since 1995 Christine’s navigated a career spanning theatre, broadcasting, writing, spoken word and public speaking with honesty, humor, language and culture. Christine is a steward of ancestral languages, Tageesh Koshé and Dawkwanjé (Southern Tutchone.)

christinegenier.ca

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This presentation is supported by Nakai Theatre.

Reaching Forward - Emerging Artists’ Panel

Join three young artists from different nations across Turtle Island as they connect and share their stories with both us and each other. Speaking from their experiences developing their projects, they will talk about being Indigenous artists, finding their way, and how the rest of us can support young artists.

The future is the youth, so let’s see what the future has in store!

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Born in raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, Isabelle James-Walker (she/her) is Tlingit, Carcross Tagish First Nation. Isabelle found her passion for theatre when she joined the Music Arts and Drama Program and completely fell in love with acting and the Arts. Being really shy and closed off as a kid, she found her confidence while pursuing her passion. As part of Indigenous Summer Play Readings 2024, she dove into the world of directing. Justice by Leonard Linklater was the first script directed by Isabelle.

A few productions she’s been in: Music Art and Drama Program - 2016-2019

Newsies - Yukon Theatre for Young People - 2019

Dreary and Izzy - The Guild Hall & Gwaandak Theatre - 2021

Women of the Fur Trade - Gwaandak Theatre - 2021

Indigenous Summer Play Readings - Gwaandak Theatre - 2022

WYRD - Larrikin Entertainment - 2023

Indigenous Summer Play Readings - Gwaandak Theatre - 2024

Benefits of becoming a Member of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance

Become part of a thriving community of Indigenous artists, creators, and organizations dedicated to advancing Indigenous performing arts. As a member, you'll gain access to networking, mentorship, funding opportunities, professional development, and promotional support. Connect, grow, and celebrate Indigenous talent with IPAA!

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Cynthia Lickers-Sage [Kanienkeha:ka, Turtle Clan] is a proud recipient of the Governor-General of Canada’s Meritorious Service Cross. Following her graduation at the Ontario College of Art and Design, she Co-Founded The Centre for Aboriginal Media, imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, Tkaronto Music Festival, Tkaronto Productions and is the sole proprietor of Clickers Productions. She has spent the last three decades working in the Government and not-for-profit arts sector as the former Executive Director at the Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts, and the General Manager at Kaha:wi Dance Theatre where she gained valuable skills to take on her current position as the Executive Director at the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance.

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The Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance is a member-driven organization serving Indigenous artists and arts organizations across Turtle Island. We provide opportunities for arts and culture workers to connect with one another, gain skills and knowledge, and advertise their work and events among the network.

Benefits of becoming a Member of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance

Become part of a thriving community of Indigenous artists, creators, and organizations dedicated to advancing Indigenous performing arts. As a member, you'll gain access to networking, mentorship, funding opportunities, professional development, and promotional support. Connect, grow, and celebrate Indigenous talent with IPAA!

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Shawna Porter (Kanienkeha:ka, Wolf Clan) is the Membership Coordinator at the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA), where she supports Indigenous artists in building community and expanding their creative networks. With a background in event planning, programming, and marketing, Shawna honed her skills at Chiefswood Park before joining IPAA, where she coordinated cultural experiences and community initiatives. Shawna is also the founder of Moon Water Creative, an organization dedicated to connecting people to nature, wellness, and Indigenous culture through events and workshops.

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The Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance is a member-driven organization serving Indigenous artists and arts organizations across Turtle Island. We provide opportunities for arts and culture workers to connect with one another, gain skills and knowledge, and advertise their work and events among the network.

Moving from Your Centre

Reflecting on practical applications of a value-centred practise through the lens of producer, director, creator, dramaturge and advocate.

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Donna-Michelle St. Bernard aka Belladonna the Blest is an emcee, playwright and agitator. Her playwriting is focused in the 54ology: The First Stone, Diggers, Give It Up, The Smell of Horses, Just Now, Click Click, Cake, Sound of the Beast, A Man A Fish, Salome’s Clothes, Dark Love and Gas Girls. She is co-editor with Yvette Nolan of the Playwrights Canada Press anthologies Refractions: Solo and Refractions: Scenes, as well as editor of Indian Act: Residential School Plays. DM is currently the associate artist at lemonTree Creations, and artistic director of New Harlem Productions.

Keynote Presentation - The Power Of Transformation

In this presentation Michelle will be sharing insight into her career of over thirty years as an actress and director in film, television and theatre. She will explore the power of "transformation" and how she has come to view her role as a director and conveyor of Indigenous storytelling.

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Michelle Thrush is a well known artist having worked as an actor, writer, and director in film, television and theatre for over 35 years professionally. During that time she has won multiple awards including the 2011 Gemini for Best Lead Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Series and a three time Rosie Award winner for Best Alberta Actress and in 2018 Michelle was honoured to receive The Betty Mitchell Award for Best Actress for newest solo show Inner Elder. In 2024, she received the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award. With several dozen film and tv credits so far, Michelle also has three films coming out in 2024.

In 2012 Michelle became a founding member of the ground breaking production Making Treaty 7. She was also co director, actor and a contributing writer on this continuously sold out theatre extravaganza. Through the many years in the arts Ms Thrush has been dedicated to working alongside Indigenous youth across Canada. She believe in the magic of storytelling and comedy to empower youth to speak their own stories of resilience. Through it all though, her greatest accomplishment will always be her two beautiful daughters, whom Michelle admits was actually a co production.

Headshot by Red Works Photography

Awaken Theatre Gathering - Host, Gwaandak Theatre

Colin Wolf is a Métis performer, theatre maker, and activist from Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary), AB on Treaty 7 Territory. He graduated with a BFA in Dramatic Arts from the University of Lethbridge in 2014, and then spent five years making theatre all over the prairies. Colin co-founded Thumbs Up Good Work Theatre Collective with his sister Caleigh Crow in 2013. Colin felt the call of the North and moved to Whitehorse in October 2019 to serve as Artistic Director at Gwaandak Theatre. He wrote and produced CoyWolf, a story about loss and grief backdropped by a story of land displacement. Colin produced it as Thumbs Up in partnership with the Guild Hall Theatre in Whitehorse, and toured it to four rural communities in 2023.