Indigenous Leaders: Strength, Resiliency & Inspiration
Representation is important. The way in which we view others is greatly influenced by the manner in which they are portrayed in the media - in movies, television, books, news, social media, and so forth. This is a list of leaders, events, movements, and ideas from the global Indigenous community that are designed to inspire. Dive in and commit to learning something new and challenge the some of the perceptions you may have of Indigenous peoples, histories, and cultures.
Each of the topics and leaders below are examples of innovation, determination, excellence and perseverance. Research and investigate a few, or take a look at them all - however you engage, you will notice that this is a celebration of Indigenous strength, resiliency, pride and beauty in all of its many forms.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and we have purposefully tried to find new topics and leaders that you may not have heard of before. We hope this page is a window into some interesting and potentially new perspectives that may help you grow and be inspired. Life only gets richer and fuller when we are exposed to new ideas and different worldviews.
Here is an example of a student handout or use this as a base for Inquiry projects.
Want to learn more about BIPOC folk? Check out our inspiring page of Black leaders, innovators, and excellence!
Topic: Choctaw Code Talkers - WWI Heroes
Have you heard of the Navajo and Comanche code talkers from World War II, who helped decipher Nazi messages that led to the Allied victory? The Choctaw code talkers were a group of Indigenous Peoples from Oklahoma who pioneered the use of Indigenous languages as military code - they were an important part of World War I strategy and front line fighting. These 19 young men were enlisted in the U.S. military and helped to break the Hindenberg Line. They were placed in front line command posts and help transmit and decipher messages that were indecipherable to the German codebreakers. Learn more about the Chocktaw soldiers here... and watch the following video. |
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Lee Maracle - Writer, Poet & Activist
"Where do you begin telling someone their world is not the only one?" Powerful words from Lee Maracle - poet, writer, activist, speaker and expert on First Nations culture and history. Lee was born in North Vancouver, BC, in 1950; her mother was Metis and her father was from the Sto:lo nation. Growing up, she felt distanced from her Indigenous history and Canadian culture. She ended up dropping out of school and being a part of Vancouver’s Red Power movement. Eventually, she ended up in California, later moving to Toronto. Constantly moving from town to town, Maracle ended up in multiple occupations that included stand-up, comedy, and films. Later returning to Vancouver and studying at SFU, she was able to dig deep into her Indigenous roots. Today, Maracle is a well-known activist that talks about Indigenous struggles against racism, sexism, and oppression. She made numerous shorts stories, poems and novels such as, “Ravensong”, “Bobbi Lee”, and “Sojouner’s Truth”. When writing, her primary focus is giving voice to the stories of Indigenous women. Read more about Lee Maracle here, or find her latest book "Conversations with Canadians."
"Where do you begin telling someone their world is not the only one?" Powerful words from Lee Maracle - poet, writer, activist, speaker and expert on First Nations culture and history. Lee was born in North Vancouver, BC, in 1950; her mother was Metis and her father was from the Sto:lo nation. Growing up, she felt distanced from her Indigenous history and Canadian culture. She ended up dropping out of school and being a part of Vancouver’s Red Power movement. Eventually, she ended up in California, later moving to Toronto. Constantly moving from town to town, Maracle ended up in multiple occupations that included stand-up, comedy, and films. Later returning to Vancouver and studying at SFU, she was able to dig deep into her Indigenous roots. Today, Maracle is a well-known activist that talks about Indigenous struggles against racism, sexism, and oppression. She made numerous shorts stories, poems and novels such as, “Ravensong”, “Bobbi Lee”, and “Sojouner’s Truth”. When writing, her primary focus is giving voice to the stories of Indigenous women. Read more about Lee Maracle here, or find her latest book "Conversations with Canadians."
Rigoberta Menchu Tum - Nobel Prize Winner
Dr. Rigoberta Menchú Tum is a K'iche' Guatemalan human rights activist, feminist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. She is world renowned for her work supporting Indigenous rights and cultures in the Americas. Rigoberta was born in Guatemala during a time of extreme violence and unrest - she lived under the brutal dictatorship of Ruis Monte. Many members of her family were murdered by the army for opposing the military government. She was an activist from a very young age, working to help improve farmers' rights, and to gain democratic freedoms. She fled to Mexico in the early 1980s, and worked with human rights organizations there. She also told her life story, I, Rigoberta Menchu, and served as a narrator to the powerful film When the Mountains Tremble, which tells the story of the struggle of the Mayan peoples. Listen to her recent talk in this Youtube video, or watch the trailer of When the Mountains Tremble here. |
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Jim Thorpe - the Greatest Athlete of the Century
Jim Thorpe: one of the greatest football players of all time - and the Greatest Athlete of the 20th century. Jim Thorpe was an Indigenous man from the Sauk and Fox Nations in Oklahoma. He was an outstanding athlete, eventually becoming one of the greatest NFL football players in history, the first president of the American Professional Football Association (now NFL), a MLB baseball player, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist in 1912, in Sweden. He won the decathalon by a landslide, even finishing the final running event wearing two different shoes, after someone tried to sabotage him! Learn more about this story here. Sadly, Jim Thorpe passed away in 1954 due to pneumonia. He is recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time and is a celebrated Indigenous American to this day. |
Topic: Electric Powwow - Culture Meets DJ Turn Tables
“Indigenous people are used to being invisible, keeping our heads down,” Bear Witness said. “So when people started freaking out across the dance floor, we knew we were on to something.” Electric Powwow, known also as powwow step, began with the music group Tribe Called Red, which samples electronic music with traditional powwow movements, regalia, and songs. Their popularity has gone global, and the genre now extends to other DJs across Canada and the United States. Through the connection of powwow and dance, Tribe called Red has brought forwards culture and Indigenous history that was once outlawed and suppressed, through indirect policies and outright violence, in both the US and Canada. Watch DJ Shub's and the Northern Cree Singers music video, which showcases Indigenous pride, culture and beauty in a way that will keep you captivated - and maybe even get you moving! |
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Brian Jungen - Contemporary Artist
Brian Jungen is a contemporary Indigenous artist of Dane-Zaa and Swiss ancestry living born in Fort St. John and working in the North Okanagan of British Columbia. He is world-renowned and his breakout show was Prototypes for New Understandings, where he dismantled Nike Air Jordan sneakers, and turned them into stunning forms that looked like Northwest Coast First Nations masks. Known for taking regular 'everyday' objects and turning them into a commentary, he also used white plastic lawn chairs and turned them into whale skeletons, transformed golf bags into towering totem poles, and garbage bins into a giant turtle carapace. His installations are stunning and his brilliant social commentaries make connections between First Nations culture, western art history and themes of globalization. Learn more about Brian's work here, as well as the gallery view below.
Brian Jungen is a contemporary Indigenous artist of Dane-Zaa and Swiss ancestry living born in Fort St. John and working in the North Okanagan of British Columbia. He is world-renowned and his breakout show was Prototypes for New Understandings, where he dismantled Nike Air Jordan sneakers, and turned them into stunning forms that looked like Northwest Coast First Nations masks. Known for taking regular 'everyday' objects and turning them into a commentary, he also used white plastic lawn chairs and turned them into whale skeletons, transformed golf bags into towering totem poles, and garbage bins into a giant turtle carapace. His installations are stunning and his brilliant social commentaries make connections between First Nations culture, western art history and themes of globalization. Learn more about Brian's work here, as well as the gallery view below.
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Autumn Peltier - Water Warrior and Defender.
“Water is a basic human right. Everyone deserves access to clean drinking water, no matter what our race or colour is or how rich or poor we are.” Autumn Peltier is a 17-year-old from Wiikwemkoong First Nation in Ontario, who is fighting for clean drinking water something many Indigenous communities across Canada do not have access to. The teen, who’s originally from Manitoulin Island but currently living in Ottawa, told CBC Kids News "she’d rather spend her free time doing normal kid stuff. Instead, she’s sharing that message with the world when she addressed the United Nations in 2018 and again in 2019. In 2019, she was also named chief water commissioner by the Anishinabek Nation, which means she speaks on behalf of 40 First Nations in Ontario. Learn more about Autumn by watching this CBC video, or listening to this episode of the Secret Life of Canada podcast. |
Jean Cuthand Goodwill - Registered Nurse
Jean Cuthand Goodwill was born on August 14, 1928 in Saskatchewan and she was an educator and an organizer that promoted First Nations health and culture. In 1928, Goodwill’s mother died of tuberculosis, and Goodwill’s teenage years were spent in a sanatorium in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, where she was sent after she also contracted tuberculosis. After recovering, she became the first Indigenous registered nurse in Saskatchewan and one of the first in Canada. Goodwill was dedicated to improving the health of Indigenous people in Canada. In addition, she wrote four books, and received many awards and acknowledgments for her effort and her diligent work, including the Order of Canada. Read more about her work here. |
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Taika Waititi - Oscar winning screenwriter
Writer, actor, and director for the excellent film Jojo Rabbit - Taika Waititi was the first Indigenous person to win an Academy Award for a screenwriting category. You might know him better though for his work as director of Thor: Ragnarok. Waititi is Jewish and Māori of the Te Whānau-ā-Apanui iwi from New Zealand. Waititi grew up speaking only a little of the te reo language — he was born after the era when Māori were punished for speaking it, but before the wave of Māori immersion schools in New Zealand. "I grew up just before that big resurgence, that renaissance." But it's a specific kind of Indigenous representation that speaks to him. "We've been represented in the past as always through a white lens...We're the Native presence in films that talk to trees, and we're smudging all the time, and we're riding whales, and we're talking to the ghosts of our ancestors — which, sure, maybe for a few of us ... I don't. I'm just a normal dude." Read more about how he worked to incorporate authentic Indigenous culture and filmmakers into the production of Thor, and read more of his interview with CBC here. |
Kent Monkman
Kent Monkman is a famous Cree artist raised in Winnipeg, who is known for his provocative artwork whose work addresses the impact of colonialism on Indigenous peoples and cultures. In his artwork, many of the Indigenous people of the painting are non-binary, gender-fluid or other identities. In 2017 he received the Bonham Centre award for his “Contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification”. One of his most famous paintings is “The Scream'', a painting that shows Indigenous children being stolen from their families and placed in residential schools. This was made for Canada's 150-year anniversary, so people can see other perspectives on our history represented. Listen to Kent Monkman's thoughts on Shame and Prejudice - A Story of Resilience.
Kent Monkman is a famous Cree artist raised in Winnipeg, who is known for his provocative artwork whose work addresses the impact of colonialism on Indigenous peoples and cultures. In his artwork, many of the Indigenous people of the painting are non-binary, gender-fluid or other identities. In 2017 he received the Bonham Centre award for his “Contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification”. One of his most famous paintings is “The Scream'', a painting that shows Indigenous children being stolen from their families and placed in residential schools. This was made for Canada's 150-year anniversary, so people can see other perspectives on our history represented. Listen to Kent Monkman's thoughts on Shame and Prejudice - A Story of Resilience.
The Cultural Importance of Long Hair
Have you ever wondered why Indigenous people grow their hair into long beautiful braids? What is the spiritual importance of long hair in Indigenous cultures? Long hair is important to Indigenous peoples around the world - a way of connecting to ancestors, of fighting against invisibility, and a connection to language, culture, medicine, and pride. Braids are often done in special ways for ceremonies and dances. For some First Peoples, long hair connects them to Mother Earth, whose hair is seen in long grasses. However, the intentional cutting of hair and braids has also been used as a weapon against Indigenous peoples. Learn more about this part of Indigenous culture from Dr. Anton Treuer. |
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Coast Salish Woolly Dog
"There was a time when the Indigenous women of the Pacific Northwest’s coastal regions paddled their canoes to small, rocky islands once a day or so to care for packs of small white-furred dogs...The dogs and their fur were the women's source of wealth, and they kept watch on them. Back in their longhouses, the women transformed their fur into beautiful yarn, mixing it with the wool of mountain goats and plants fibres to make the thread strong and warm. They dyed it with lichen, with berries, with bark, and then set up their looms and began to weave stunning intricate blankets with elaborate and complex geometric designs. The dogs also kept people company and were an important part of village life." What happened to the white woolly dogs, and how was the evidence of this breed discovered? Read more from Hakai magazine or learn more about Coast Salish weaving by watching Alison Burns-Joseph share her weaving practice.
"There was a time when the Indigenous women of the Pacific Northwest’s coastal regions paddled their canoes to small, rocky islands once a day or so to care for packs of small white-furred dogs...The dogs and their fur were the women's source of wealth, and they kept watch on them. Back in their longhouses, the women transformed their fur into beautiful yarn, mixing it with the wool of mountain goats and plants fibres to make the thread strong and warm. They dyed it with lichen, with berries, with bark, and then set up their looms and began to weave stunning intricate blankets with elaborate and complex geometric designs. The dogs also kept people company and were an important part of village life." What happened to the white woolly dogs, and how was the evidence of this breed discovered? Read more from Hakai magazine or learn more about Coast Salish weaving by watching Alison Burns-Joseph share her weaving practice.
Topic: Resistance - Big Bear, Poundmaker, and Wandering Spirit
You may have heard of the reserve system, but have you heard of the ways that Indigenous peoples organized and resisted against this oppressive system? Learn more about the ways in which the Canadian government betrayed First Nations and Metis people after Treaty 6 was successfully negotiated. Hear the stories about how strong leaders like Big Bear, Poundmaker, and Wandering Spirit sacrificed their freedom to support and protect their people. Explore other narratives about the "Opening of the West" in Canada, and learn what the impacts of settlement and the Indian Act had on First Peoples. This film is made by Indigenous filmmaker Tasha Hubbard and is part of a larger film called nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up. |
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Jordin Tootoo - Proud Inuit and Athlete
Jordin is the first player of Inuit descent to be drafted and to play in the NHL. He was born in Churchill, Manitoba, on February 2nd 1983, and grew up in Nunavut. His father, who was Inuit, taught him how to skate and play hockey, as well as many traditional Inuit activities including hunting and camping. He endured physical abuse from a young age, but hockey was his escape. In the 2001 NHL draft he was selected by the Nashville predators, and played 723 NHL games. When he retired in 2018, he announced his plans to “to continue to work to enhance life for Indigenous children who are suffering.” He started the "Team Tootoo” where young children could learn to play hockey, and a foundation to help with suicide awareness and prevention, after his brother's suicide in 2001. Jordan Tootoo is a major inspiration for Indigenous youth all around the world. |
Topic: Rumble - the Indigenous Musicians Who Rocked the World
The 1960s and 1970s was a time of revival, resistance, and a flourishing of music including rock, jazz, folk, and blues. This documentary tells the untold story of all the Indigenous musicians that profoundly influenced popular music and culture in North America. While some artists were well-known, like Buffy St. Marie, many others like Robbie Robertson, haven't been recognized for their incredible achievements. Listen to some of the most famous musicians discuss the ways that they were inspired by Indigenous musicians and their brilliance, and then watch the full documentary! |
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Alwyn Morris - Olympic Gold Medallist
Morris is a sprint kayaker and two-time Olympic gold medalist with his kayaking partner Hugh Fisher during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. After winning the gold medal in K-2 1000m race, Morris raised an eagle feather on the podium, with widespread notice. In a 2009 interview, Morris revealed the intentions behind his eagle feather salute. First, he wanted to pay tribute to his grandfather, who died before he could witness Morris's achievement: "He wasn't there any longer and I needed to be able to show my respect for what he had taught me and went through with me." Moreover, Morris saw his eagle feather salute as a way to share the victory with Indigenous Peoples in Canada and demonstrate his Indigenous identity to Canadians: "..I am a Mohawk person, and I'm Aboriginal in Canada and it was important for me to be self identified in order to share that with the other part of who I am." The symbolism of Morris's Eagle Feather Salute has been compared with the Black Power salute of U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968 Olympics. They are both considered iconic examples where athletes used sport as a site to engage in activism and resistance about their identities and social issues.
Morris is a sprint kayaker and two-time Olympic gold medalist with his kayaking partner Hugh Fisher during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. After winning the gold medal in K-2 1000m race, Morris raised an eagle feather on the podium, with widespread notice. In a 2009 interview, Morris revealed the intentions behind his eagle feather salute. First, he wanted to pay tribute to his grandfather, who died before he could witness Morris's achievement: "He wasn't there any longer and I needed to be able to show my respect for what he had taught me and went through with me." Moreover, Morris saw his eagle feather salute as a way to share the victory with Indigenous Peoples in Canada and demonstrate his Indigenous identity to Canadians: "..I am a Mohawk person, and I'm Aboriginal in Canada and it was important for me to be self identified in order to share that with the other part of who I am." The symbolism of Morris's Eagle Feather Salute has been compared with the Black Power salute of U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968 Olympics. They are both considered iconic examples where athletes used sport as a site to engage in activism and resistance about their identities and social issues.
The "Godfather of Contemporary Indigenous Art"
In 1962, an exhibition was held at the Pollock Gallery in Toronto, marking the first time work was displayed in a contemporary art gallery by an Indigenous artist. All of Norval Morrisseau's paintings displayed were sold out on the very first day. This was a historic moment for Indigenous artists and Norval Morrisseau was dubbed as the "Godfather of Contemporary Indigenous Art." Morrisseau was born in 1931 into an era of residential schools and confinement in reserves. As a young boy, he learned Anishinaabe traditions with his grandparents in Sand Point, Ontario. There, he learned the stories and culture of his people from his grandfather whilst his grandmother taught him Catholicism. When he was 6, he was brought into St. Joseph's Indian Residential School. Despite this, his passion for the arts flourished. He never received formal training in drawing, but he took Canada's art scene by storm, and paved the way for the incredible contemporary artists to come after him. |
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Thelma Chalifoux - First Métis Senator
In 1929, Thelma Chalifoux was born in Calgary and would later become an important voice for Indigenous and Métis rights. She was born just before the Great Depression and overcame great troubles and challenges during her lifetime. She married and had kids at a young age but eventually became a single mother with four children. Her four children were taken from her by social services during the Sixties Scoop, but eventually regained custody. In 1960, she was able to enroll in a college course with two of her sons, Bob and Scott. There, they took a Humanities class that had a great impact on her. Her political career started in the early 1970s, and by November, 1977, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien had appointed Chalifoux the first Métis woman to serve in the Canadian senate. She would remain there until her mandatory retirement at age 75. During her time as senator Thelma constantly fought for Indigenous women's rights and the preservation of the Cree language. |
Tom Longboat - War Hero and Marathon Runner
Tom Longboat was a long-distance runner from the Onondaga Nation in Brantford, Ontario. Born on July 4th, 1887, he later joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I, and acted as a dispatch runner. During the war, Longboat was declared dead (inaccurately!) twice, and managed to survive. Longboat had a passion for running as a kid, and got the nickname “Bulldog of Britannia” for being a fast runner. His family did not believe how fast he could run until he was put in a race against his brother who was on a horse and buggy, and a 30 minute head start. Longboat ran on foot, and still won the race against his brother! Tom Longboat then went on to become the first Indigenous person to place first in the Boston Marathon. Sadly, he passed away of pneumonia in 1949 at the age of 61, dying a hero for many. |
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Ashley Callingbull - Ms. Universe & Activist
In 2015, Ashley Callingbull became the first Canadian and Indigenous woman to win the Ms. Universe title. As a kid her upbringing was challenging - she had low self-esteem and saw no future for herself. But she was able to overcome these barriers. Today, Ashley is a model, actor and First Nation activist. She has been on television shows the Amazing Race Canada and Blackstone. She is also an international motivational speaker giving speeches at schools such as Harvard. As a woman from the Enoch Cree Nation in the province of Alberta, she is devoted to her culture and people, she takes pride in her culture and heritage through volunteer work with elders and youth. Recently Ashley joined with David Suzuki and other politicians to begin the Leap Manifesto to push citizens and the government to transition away from fossil fuel and to take steps to fight climate change. She also raises awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, poverty, inequality and racism within the Indigenous communities. |
Bill Reid - Haida Artist and Master Goldsmith, Carver, Sculptor, Writer, and Activist
"Joy is a well-made object, equaled only by the joy of making it." (Bill Reid, 1988) If you've been to the Vancouver Airport, or looked at a twenty dollar bill, you will recognize the beautiful statue The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, a canoe overflowing with representations from Haida stories and beliefs. "Bill Reid was born in Victoria, to a Haida mother and father with European ancestry. He began exploring his Haida roots at the age of 23 - an exploration that would shape his lifetime and his incredible career. Reid became a pivotal force in building bridges between Indigenous people and other peoples. Through his mother, he was a member of the Raven clan from T'aanuu with the wolf as one of his family crests. Raven is known as a mischievous trickster, who also plays an important part in transforming the world. Many of these traits matched Bill Reid's personality. In 1986, Reid was presented with the Haida name Yaahl Sgwansung, meaning The Only Raven...." Read more about Bill Reid at his website, or watch this video that honours his life and legacy, while also offering you the chance to listen and hear the Haida language being spoken.
"Joy is a well-made object, equaled only by the joy of making it." (Bill Reid, 1988) If you've been to the Vancouver Airport, or looked at a twenty dollar bill, you will recognize the beautiful statue The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, a canoe overflowing with representations from Haida stories and beliefs. "Bill Reid was born in Victoria, to a Haida mother and father with European ancestry. He began exploring his Haida roots at the age of 23 - an exploration that would shape his lifetime and his incredible career. Reid became a pivotal force in building bridges between Indigenous people and other peoples. Through his mother, he was a member of the Raven clan from T'aanuu with the wolf as one of his family crests. Raven is known as a mischievous trickster, who also plays an important part in transforming the world. Many of these traits matched Bill Reid's personality. In 1986, Reid was presented with the Haida name Yaahl Sgwansung, meaning The Only Raven...." Read more about Bill Reid at his website, or watch this video that honours his life and legacy, while also offering you the chance to listen and hear the Haida language being spoken.
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Buffy Sainte-Marie - Musician, Artist, Educator
“As a little kid when I was three, I discovered a piano and I found out it made noise and I was fascinated and taught myself how to do what I wanted to do on it. I could play fake Beethoven, and do other things with strange chords that other people didn’t use but that I liked." (Vogue, 2015) Buffy Sainte-Marie is a famous singer, song writer, visual artist, educator, Oscar winning composer, and pacifist. She was born on the Piapot Cree First Nation Reserve in the Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan and is a self taught musician. Early on, Buffy learned how to play piano, guitar, eventually becoming a powerful and influential folk artist, winning Billboard's Best Artist of 1964. She graced the stage of Woodstock in the 1960s, and was a forceful anti-war activist writing many songs such as, ‘Universal Soldier’. At 80 years old, Buffy continues to write and perform music today, and is a powerful Indigenous voice from the Red Power Movement, to Sesame Street, to today. |
Jesse Cockney - Cross-Country Skier and Olympian
Jesse is an Inuvialuit Olympic Cross-Country Skiing athlete from Yellowknife, NWT. Growing up with a skiing family, he learned how to ski when he was two years old, eventually placing 10th in the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He won three gold medals in the 2011 Canada Winter Games, and competed at the Olympics in 2014 and 2018. Besides skiing, he has some other hobbies: he likes to fly-fish in the stream and alpine lakes, he likes preparing good meals for his family and friends, and mentors Indigenous students through the Classroom Champion program. He inspires people to be healthy and open up to skiing. Watch a video about him here: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2435076779
Jesse is an Inuvialuit Olympic Cross-Country Skiing athlete from Yellowknife, NWT. Growing up with a skiing family, he learned how to ski when he was two years old, eventually placing 10th in the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He won three gold medals in the 2011 Canada Winter Games, and competed at the Olympics in 2014 and 2018. Besides skiing, he has some other hobbies: he likes to fly-fish in the stream and alpine lakes, he likes preparing good meals for his family and friends, and mentors Indigenous students through the Classroom Champion program. He inspires people to be healthy and open up to skiing. Watch a video about him here: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2435076779
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Sami Reindeer Herders
"In northern Europe, where winter temperatures hover between well below zero, reindeer roam an ancient pine forest that’s blanketed by snow. That might sound like a fantastical scene from a snow globe, but for the Sámi people, the Indigenous inhabitants of Arctic Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia, this is home. The expansive region, known as Sápmi, is their ancestral land—and herding reindeer there has been a form of survival for them since the prehistoric era. The Sámi are the only Indigenous peoples left in Europe - you may recognize them from their representations after collaborating with filmmakers during the creation of the movie Frozen II - cultures with unique customs and traditions. But due to colonization, globalization, and the forces of climate change, this culture is greatly at risk..." Read more about these artists, herders, and caretakers of the land, whose female leaders are fighting to save their ancestral lands. |
Tommy Prince - Veteran and Marksman
Thomas George Prince was one of the most decorated and famous First Nations soldiers, serving in World War II and the Korean War. Prince was one of 11 children born in a family from the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation in Manitoba. He was an exceptionally talented marksman with excellent tracking skills that he learned from many days out in the wilderness. Prince initially faced difficulty in military enlistment due to his Indigenous background but was finally allowed to join during the early years of WWII. He quickly rose through the ranks and was hand-selected to train with an American special operations unit and became a valuable and formidable scout in the Western Front. In a famous mission, he set up a telephone line into an abandoned farmhouse that was also 200 metres away from a German artillery position. He set up an observation post, and reported on the enemy for three days, even pausing to repair a severed portion of the telephone line while disguised as a peasant farmer in plain sight. He would later be sent to France where he endured a 72-hour trek to a German camp without food or water, resulting in the capture of over 1,000 German soldiers. Prince's actions in WWII won him the Military Medal awarded by King George VI and a Silver Star. After his service, he dedicated his time to advocating for Indigenous people's rights in Canada while he married and raised 5 children. Learn more... |
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Adam Goodes - One of the Greatest Ever Professional Aussie-rules Footballers
"The best lesson I've learnt is a story of survival, and wanting something better for our children...it matters to me that my children can grow up believing that this is their place, and not having to live with the legacy of trauma". One of the greatest ever players of Australian Rules football, former Sydney Swans captain Adam Goodes was also named Australian of the Year in 2014 for his advocacy work to raise awareness about Indigenous Australian culture and racism in sports. Despite being one of the best athletes in his sport, he faced ongoing abuse and racism on and off the field, forcing him to eventually retire. Today, he is an activist that is working to create spaces in sport where all athletes can feel safe. Watch the trailer for the latest documentary about his life here. |
Topic: Idle No More Social Movement - An Awakening
Idle No More started in 2012 among Treaty People in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta who were protesting the Canadian government’s dismantling of environmental protection laws, endangering First Nations who live on the land. Within days they took to the internet and communities started organizing - for the first time, remote reserves were connecting with urban Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples through social media and technology. Hunger strikes by leaders, marches organized by youth, and other protest were sparked across Canada and the world. Information spread quickly with the help of social media, and hashtags like #idlenomore. "Led by women, and with a call for nation-to-nation relations based on mutual respect, Idle No More rapidly grew into a continent-wide network of urban and rural Indigenous working hand in hand with non-Indigenous allies to build a movement for Indigenous rights and the protection of land, water, and sky...." Read more at Idle No More. |
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Fred Saskamoose - NHL Hockey Player
Frederick George Saskamoose was one of the first Indigenous hockey players in Canada in the NHL. He was a former residential school student at St. Michael’s Indian Residential School in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, where he was taken at the age of 6. Saskamoose was the star player on the Duck Lake team, so a priest had a hockey scout visit him. He made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks on November 20, 1953, playing a total 11 games for the Blackhawks. After he retired he was a band councilor for 35 years and chief for 6 years. With his fame, he promoted sports in the Indigenous community including ice hockey, track and field, soccer, and basketball. In 2007, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Native Hockey Hall of Fame. He is also a founding member of the Northern Indian Hockey League. |
Samela Sateré-Mawé - Brasilian Biology Student and Activist
Samela Sateré-Mawé is a 24-year-old biology student with one guiding belief - if the rainforest dies so will her Amazon tribe. “Indigenous people are an extension of nature, and nature is an extension of us,” said the environmental activist, who joined Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future movement to save the forest. "Environmental activism is just a new name for what Indigenous peoples have been doing for millenia". Her Indigenous roots and culture are what has inspired her concern for the environment and the Amazon rainforest in Brasil, which is currently threatened by illegal loggers, encroaching farmland and wildcat miners. Samela posts videos on social media and takes part in Fridays for Future when she is not studying or making anti-COVID face masks in a craft workshop with other Indigenous women in a Manaus suburb. Read more about Samela here as well as about other Indigenous peoples on the front lines of conflict in Brasil, and social media influencers trying to help educate about their cultures.
Samela Sateré-Mawé is a 24-year-old biology student with one guiding belief - if the rainforest dies so will her Amazon tribe. “Indigenous people are an extension of nature, and nature is an extension of us,” said the environmental activist, who joined Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future movement to save the forest. "Environmental activism is just a new name for what Indigenous peoples have been doing for millenia". Her Indigenous roots and culture are what has inspired her concern for the environment and the Amazon rainforest in Brasil, which is currently threatened by illegal loggers, encroaching farmland and wildcat miners. Samela posts videos on social media and takes part in Fridays for Future when she is not studying or making anti-COVID face masks in a craft workshop with other Indigenous women in a Manaus suburb. Read more about Samela here as well as about other Indigenous peoples on the front lines of conflict in Brasil, and social media influencers trying to help educate about their cultures.
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Michelle Chubb - Content Creator and Influencer
"We’ve been here. We are here. We belong here. Representation is so important because you want to feel like you’re someone in the world. I try to make myself look powerful so the Native youth that are looking at me can look up to someone.” Michelle Chubb is a 22 year old Nehinaw content creator from Winnipeg, that was just recently profiled in Teen Vogue. With over 300, 000 TikTok followers, she was highlighted for her activism, educational content and ability to blend her traditional Cree culture with elements from pop culture on the popular social media platform. In her TikTok videos, Chubb is honest about the racism and trauma she's faced, but also proudly displays the stunning elements of her culture, such as her regalia, beaded jewelry and dancing, set to either traditional round dance and powwow music or Top 40 hits.Her goal is simple — to inspire young people and to help bridge the gap. Read more about her here or follow her on TikTok at Indigenous Baddie. |
Robin Wall Kimmerer - "Braiding Sweetgrass" Author, Botanist and Biologist
"This is a time to take a lesson from mosses. What is it that has enabled them to persist for 350 million years, through every kind of catastrophe, every climate change that’s ever happened on this planet, and what might we learn from that?” She lists the lessons “of being small, of giving more than you take, of working with natural law, sticking together. All the ways that they live I just feel are really poignant teachings for us right now.” Robin Kimmerer is a world renowned botanist and nature writer who weaves Western science with the teachings of her Indigenous ancestors. She is an environmental biology at the University of New York, where she teaches about the principles of reciprocity, and of the 'Honorable Harvest'. She is part of the Potawatomi First Nation of the Bear Clan, and wants everyone to recognize and express gratitude for the many gifts that nature holds for us. |
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Topic: Indigenous Architecture - Combatting Colonial Forces through Art and Design
"A painful history of colonization long kept Indigenous people in Canada from creating their own buildings. Today, Indigenous architects are growing in number – and in influence. Until the 1970s, First Nations weren’t allowed to do any of their own buildings. The government did everything: built the housing, built the schools,” says Patrick Stewart (Luugigyoo), principal of his architecture firm based in Chilliwack, B.C. "The government’s goal was ultimately assimilation." However that hasn't happened. “Cultures have remained. Languages have survived… and are thriving.” Today, Indigenous architecture is growing, and the culturally appropriate buildings they create have a lasting impact on communities across the country. Indigenous architecture is describes as having more of a focus on craftsmanship, and less on façade-making. “There’s a duality between something that is very functional but is also very beautiful, simply in the way it’s put together,” It's described as more organic, with buildings fitting into the landscape and utilizing natural features, such as the prevailing wind for ventilation. Read more here, and view the incredible designs below.
"A painful history of colonization long kept Indigenous people in Canada from creating their own buildings. Today, Indigenous architects are growing in number – and in influence. Until the 1970s, First Nations weren’t allowed to do any of their own buildings. The government did everything: built the housing, built the schools,” says Patrick Stewart (Luugigyoo), principal of his architecture firm based in Chilliwack, B.C. "The government’s goal was ultimately assimilation." However that hasn't happened. “Cultures have remained. Languages have survived… and are thriving.” Today, Indigenous architecture is growing, and the culturally appropriate buildings they create have a lasting impact on communities across the country. Indigenous architecture is describes as having more of a focus on craftsmanship, and less on façade-making. “There’s a duality between something that is very functional but is also very beautiful, simply in the way it’s put together,” It's described as more organic, with buildings fitting into the landscape and utilizing natural features, such as the prevailing wind for ventilation. Read more here, and view the incredible designs below.
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Topic: The Connection between Mathematics and Culture
"Western education has reinforced the belief that Aboriginal people have no concept of mathematics." @IndigenousX Chris Matthews begs to differ though. A member of the Quandamooka people of Minjerribah in Australia, and with a Ph.D in Applied Mathematics, Matthews works to help people see that mathematics and culture have deep roots and connections. He explores the 40,000 years of history that is part of Aboriginal culture in Australia, where Indigenous peoples developed deep philosophies and knowledges about the world. These philosophies helped them categorize the world groups called moieties, which keep all things in balance. From these moieties, structures are created based on order and space that have strong numerical foundations. By seeing math as a form of cultural expression, and recognizing the rich global history of mathematics, Matthews believes that learning math can engage students’ imagination and creativity. Read more about Matthews' mathematics work here, and learn about how SFU mathematicians are working with Tla'amin artists, showcasing how basket-weaving is linked to functional mathematics. |