June is National Indigenous History Month, a time for all Canadians to learn, recognize and honour the history, accomplishments and diverse cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
We asked Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm and Randy Lundy, assistant professors, teaching stream, in the Department of English, about emerging Indigenous creatives our community should know about.
Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith
Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith is a Saulteaux journalist and editor from Peguis First Nation. She graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal Studies in 2011. In 2017, Miskonoodinkwe Smith graduated from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) with a Master of Education in social justice education.
A survivor of the Sixties Scoop, Miskonoodinkwe Smith has written for several publications about Indigenous news, health care and reconciliation. She is also the author of short stories and poetry.
Read Miskonoodinkwe-Smith’s powerful piece about her story, here.
Cole Pauls
Cole Pauls is a Vancouver-based comic book author and illustrator from Haines Junction, Yukon and is a member of the Tahltan First Nation. His books are influenced by punk music, his heritage, and even, pizza.
Pauls’ award-winning bilingual comic book, Dakwäkãda Warriors, was inspired by his time as part of a traditional song and dance group, the Dakwäkãda Dancers. Created with the help of his Elders, Pauls’ mission with the comic is to help revitalize Southern Tutchone, one of seven Athapaskan languages of the Yukon.
Bevann Fox
Bevann Fox is an author and broadcaster who is a member of Pasqua First Nation. She is the founder and co-host of The Four, a talk show for Indigenous women on AccessNow TV.
In Genocidal Love: A Life After Residential School, Fox tells her story through the fictional character of “Myrtle,” who, at the age of seven, is sent to a residential school near Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask. The book chronicles the long-term effects of the abuse she suffered and Myrtle’s healing journey.
Fox won the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award in the Creative Nonfiction and Life-Writing category for the book.
Tyler Pennock
Tyler Pennock is a two-spirit poet and writer who is currently a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Indigenous Studies. They are a member of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation.
Bones, Pennock’s debut poetry collection, follows a two-spirit young man and explores the journey to strength and awareness, and how past trauma affects the present moment.
A University of Toronto alum, Pennock graduated in 2009 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal Studies.
Michelle Good
Michelle Good is a writer, poet and lawyer who is a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation. An advocate for residential school survivors, Good graduated with a law degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) at the age of 43. In 2014, she graduated from UBC with a Master of Fine Arts Degree in creative writing.
Good won a 2020 Governor General's Literary Award for her debut novel, Five Little Indians. The book follows five residential school survivors through the decades as they rebuild their lives and navigate their shared past. Good is currently working on her sophomore novel.
Emily Kewageshig
Emily Kewageshig is an Anishinaabe visual artist. She uses acrylic paint, and occasionally oil paint, watercolours and culturally significant materials, for her art. Raised in Saugeen First Nation No. 29, along Lake Huron, Kewageshig’s work is characterized by vibrant colours and bold lines inspired by traditional Ojibwe Woodland artists.
Kewageshig explores the nature and interconnection of life. Her first solo exhibition, “Mooshknemogog Bmaadziwin: Full Circle,” took place last year at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound, Ont.