Marie Clements (Métis/Dene) is an award-winning writer, director and producer of film, television, radio, new media and live performance. Her work as a filmmaker includes the award-winning 2015 docudrama Number 14 and the 2013 short drama Pilgrims, which screened at TIFF and Telefilm Canada’s Not Short on Talent program at the Cannes Market. Her short documentary The Language of Love was an official selection at Hot Docs in 2012. The film production of Clements’ screenplay Unnatural and Accidental premiered at the MoMA Film Festival in New York and also screened at TIFF.

Her theatre productions as writer/director include Tombs of the Vanishing Indian, The Unnatural and Accidental Women, and The Edward Curtis Project. Her plays Burning Vision and Copper Thunderbird were shortlisted for Governor General’s Literary Awards. Clements is an alumnus of Women in the Director’s Chair, the President of MCM, and the Artistic Director of red diva projects.

Her latest documentary, The Road Forward, has screened at more than 200 venues in North America and received the Best Director Award at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, in addition to being nominated for the Writers Guild of Canada’s Documentary Screenwriting Award in 2018. Her short doc Looking at Edward Curtis premiered at DOXA and the Yorkton Film Festival, received four nominations for best documentary, and aired on the Knowledge Network in the summer of 2018. She is currently in post-production on her feature drama Red Snow, winner of the Women in the Director’s Chair Feature Film Award. Clements’ multi-award-winning films have screened at Cannes, TIFF, MOMA, VIFF, the Whistler Film Festival, and the imagineNATIVE festival.

Clements also owns and operates MCM, an independent media-production company specializing in the development, creation and production of innovative works of media that explore an Indigenous and intercultural reality.

Her latest documentary, The Road Forward, has screened at more than 200 venues in North America and received the Best Director Award at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, in addition to being nominated for the Writers Guild of Canada’s Documentary Screenwriting Award in 2018. Her short doc Looking at Edward Curtis premiered at DOXA and the Yorkton Film Festival, received four nominations for best documentary, and aired on the Knowledge Network in the summer of 2018. She is currently in post-production on her feature drama Red Snow, winner of the Women in the Director’s Chair Feature Film Award. Clements’ multi-award-winning films have screened at Cannes, TIFF, MOMA, VIFF, the Whistler Film Festival, and the imagineNATIVE festival.

Shirley Vercruysse is the Executive Producer of the National Film Board of Canada’s BC & Yukon Studio, where she leads the team producing documentary and animation projects. The studio’s latest projects include the feature-length documentaries The Whale and the Raven and Because We Are Girls; the musical documentary The Road Forward; the animated shorts Shop Class and The Zoo; the short documentaries Way of the Hunter and Now Is the Time; and the Webby Award-winning documentary series True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball.

Jenn Strom is a filmmaker, editor and mixed-media animator based in Vancouver, BC. She has worked as an editor on John Bolton’s Debris and Katherine Monk’s Rock the Box, among other films. Her short film Assembly was given the KODAK Images Award for Artistic Achievement by Women in Film & Television Vancouver. Also, two of her shorts were part of 12 Takes, which was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Arts Documentary Program.

Wayne Lavallee is an award-winning recording artist, singer-songwriter and producer from the Métis Nation of St. Laurent, Manitoba. He has received two JUNO nominations, was named best Aboriginal singer-songwriter in 2006 by the Canadian Folk Music Awards and has won multiple Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Wayne garnered international acclaim when his album Trail of Tears was released by the Dixiefrog label in France. Lavallee has also composed music for dance and film projects. His original music scores for the award-winning NFB documentaries The Road Forward and Holy Angels both received Leo Award nominations. He is inspired to make music that’s rooted in his Indigenous culture—a hybrid of unique sounds that evoke the ancient spirit within. Lavallee is currently working on his next studio album and the original music score for the feature drama Red Snow, written and directed by Marie Clements. He is based in Vancouver, BC.

As a director of photography, Mike McKinlay has worked on projects in various genres and subjects: vérité, drama, historical topics, environmental awareness, and wildlife. Mike has carved out a respectable niche as a cameraman, bringing to the table a distinct and recognizable style of cinematography from project to project. Some of his most recent clients include National Geographic, the NFB, the Knowledge Network, the Wilderness Committee and Greenpeace.

James Boatman is an artist, designer and filmmaker, making him perfectly suited to take on the roles of production designer, art director and set decorator. Over the past three years, James has worked on more than 15 different productions in the Canadian film industry.

Troy Slocum is a highly acclaimed sound designer, producer and electronic music composer. His work has been heard in live performances, films, installations and numerous productions at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Most recently, he worked on the film The Language of Love (Frog Girl Films), screened in Toronto at Hot Docs and the imagineNATIVE film festival, and Karen Chapman’s short film Stain (Small Axx Films/NFB).

Chelsea Graham is a Toronto-based costume designer originally from Victoria, BC, where she completed her BFA in Theatre. Most recently, Chelsea designed the short Ticket (Buck Productions, 2016) and had the pleasure of assisting on productions such as Haunters (Fauxheim Productions) and You Got Trumped (Mr. President Inc.).

Richard Brown has been an active drummer on the Canadian music scene for many years. He has worked with countless acclaimed and beloved artists, including Wanting Qu, Big Sugar, Pee Wee Ellis, Ernest Ranglin, Alannah Myles, Gino Vanelli, Nadine Sutherland, the Beach Boys, Hawksley Workman, Dave Swarbrick, Pacifika, Yaz Alexander Steele, Ken Whiteley and many more. Richard is of African American and Cherokee descent and can trace his Native American roots back to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. He is based in Vancouver, BC.

Ronnie Dean Harris, also known as Ostwelve, is a Stō:lo/St’át’imc/Lil’wat/N’laka’pamux multimedia artist based in Vancouver, BC. He has appeared on the TV series Moccasin Flats and starred in the made-for-TV movie Moccasin Flats Redemption. Ronnie has also toured internationally as a hip-hop performer and composed music for TV and film. He has been a director, programmer and producer at the Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival and is now the Project Director for “Reframing Relations,” a national conversation around reconciliation.

Shakti Hayes is a multi-award-nominated musician, songwriter and performer from the Cree Nation (George Gordon band) of Saskatchewan. She has performed as a solo artist and supporting musician at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and many national and international festivals. Her TV appearances include Rez Bluez 2, Rez Tunez and The Mix on APTN. Shakti is based in Bellingham, Washington.

Jennifer Kreisberg is a Genie Award-winning singer, composer, producer, and teacher. She’s created music for a long list of films that includes Unnatural & Accidental, Smoke Signals, The Business of Fancydancing, and Elijah. Jennifer has also been a member of the acclaimed a cappella trio Ulali for more than 20 years. She’s won several awards, including a Genie, a Native American Music Award, and two Independent Music Awards for her song “Have Hope.” “Deer Song,” which she wrote and performed, was featured on the Grammy-nominated DVD 1 Giant Leap. She recently worked with co-composer Michelle St. John to create a new vocal score for the play The Ecstasy of Rita Joe. Jennifer occasionally tours with Buffy Sainte-Marie as a background vocalist.

Jeremy (JJ) Lavallee, a Métis musician from St. Ambroise, Manitoba, started singing at the age of six. When JJ turned 16, he began playing with the family groups the Lavallee Tradition and the Darren Lavallee Band. As a solo artist, JJ has released three albums and received several nominations. He also won the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Award for best fiddle album in 2006 and 2010. JJ is based in Surrey, BC.

Wayne Lavallee is an award-winning recording artist, singer-songwriter and producer from the Métis Nation of St. Laurent, Manitoba. He has received two JUNO nominations, was named best Aboriginal singer-songwriter in 2006 by the Canadian Folk Music Awards and has won multiple Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Wayne garnered international acclaim when his album Trail of Tears was released by the Dixiefrog label in France. Lavallee has also composed music for dance and film projects. His original music scores for the award-winning NFB documentaries The Road Forward and Holy Angels both received Leo Award nominations. He is inspired to make music that’s rooted in his Indigenous culture—a hybrid of unique sounds that evoke the ancient spirit within. Lavallee is currently working on his next studio album and the original music score for the feature drama Red Snow, written and directed by Marie Clements. He is based in Vancouver, BC.

Cheri Maracle is a Gemini-nominated actress and a CAMA-, APCMA- and ISMA-nominated vocalist. She is Mohawk/Irish from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Selected television credits are Four in the Morning (CBC), DeGrassi (CTV) and Blackstone (APTN). Most recently, her one-woman show Paddle Song was nominated for Best Solo Performance (Calgary Theatre Critics’ Awards). Cheri’s critically acclaimed albums can be found on iTunes. She is based in Toronto, ON

Shamantsut/Amanda Nahanee is a descendant of the Squamish and the Nisga’a Nation. She is an actor, model, singer and dancer. Well versed in Coast Salish language, mythology, history, rituals, protocols and village sites, Amanda was the Vancouver Public Library’s Inaugural First Nations Storyteller-In-Residence in 2009 and spoke at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In 2012, Amanda was the recipient of the Emerging Artist Mayor’s Arts Award for Community Engaged Art. She is based in Vancouver, BC.

Delhia Nahanee is from the Nisga’a and Squamish First Nations. She has been singing with the Chinook Song Catchers for the past 20 years. Many of the Nisga’a songs she performs come from her father, Chief Chester Moore, an Elder of the Nisga’a. An activist and cultural leader, Delhia is also a member of The Road Forward Ensemble and a Downtown Eastside advocate who works for Raincity Housing at a building called the Budzey. She has a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology and a Bachelor of Social Work. Delhia lives in North Vancouver, BC.

Marissa Nahanee is an ambassador from the Nisga’a and Squamish First Nations. She has been a member of the Chinook SongCatchers for the past 20 years as a singer, dancer, choreographer, storyteller, model and public speaker. She has travelled around the world as a speaker, including to events such as the WHO’s Indigenous Social Determinants of Health conference. Nahanee’s television appearances include First Talk, Creative Native, My TV and Tribal Tracks, as well as three documentaries. Marissa is based in Vancouver, BC.

Latash-Maurice Nahanee is a member of the Squamish Nation and lives in North Vancouver, BC. A lifelong learner and practitioner of Squamish culture, he is proud to share his culture locally and internationally. As a traditional artist, Latash enjoys wood sculpture, painting, performing traditional music, and storytelling. He also continues to perform with his wife and daughters in Chinook SongCatchers, a traditional dance/singing group.

Corey Payette is proud of his Oji-Cree heritage from Northern Ontario and has worked as a playwright, actor, composer and director across Canada. He is the Artistic Director of Urban Ink and founder of Raven Theatre in Vancouver. Corey was the 2014–2015 Artist-in-Residence at the National Arts Centre English Theatre, and his original musical Children of God will close out the NAC English Theatre’s 2016–2017 season in June 2017.

JUNO Award-winning musician Murray Porter is a Mohawk piano player from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Mixing blues, country and a sense of humour, Murray sings not only of the history and contemporary stories of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada but also about the universal theme of love, lost and found. He has spent over 30 years playing his foot-stomping, hand-clapping blues piano around the world.

Michelle St. John is a two-time Gemini Award-winning actor with more than 35 years of experience in film, television, theatre, voice work and music. Michelle has focused on producing since 2009, working on several projects directed by Marie Clements and, more recently, working with Shane Belcourt on films made for the production company The Breath. She recently directed her first feature documentary, Colonization Road.

Russell Wallace is a composer, writer, producer and a traditional Lil’wat singer from the Lil’wat Nation. Russell’s music has been part of the soundtracks for several film, video, television and theatre/dance productions. He studied at Capilano University and the University of British Columbia, focusing on  creative writing and ethnomusicology. Currently, Russell teaches at Native Education College, Simon Fraser University and Capilano University.

Chief Edwin Newman is a hereditary chief of the Kwagu’ł and Heiltsuk and Chief of Bella Bella and Fort Rupert. Edwin served for many years as President of the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia and was a long-time spokesperson and negotiator for his people. He was also an early contributor to The Native Voice newspaper. Edwin is a leading Aboriginal activist and community leader.

Henry Clifton is a fisherman and the current President of the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia, the oldest active Indigenous organization in Canada. He is the fourth generation of Cliftons who have held the position of Brotherhood President. Henry is from the Gitga’at Nation and lives in Hartley Bay, BC.

Thomas R. Berger, O.C., Q.C., O.B.C., is a former justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia and a practising lawyer. His landmark law cases have successfully changed policy in Canada, particularly his work around Aboriginal rights. Notably, he argued Calder v. BC before the Supreme Court of Canada in 1971, leading to the Supreme Court’s recognition of Aboriginal title as a part of Canadian law. In 2013, he successfully argued the case of the Manitoba Métis, in which the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the failure of Canada to fulfill its constitutional promises. In addition, he has led many important inquiries in the country. In particular, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry (1974–1977) garnered Berger an international reputation for reason and justice. He has also led inquiries in Alaska (1983–1985) and for the World Bank in India (1990–1992).

Vera Newman comes from the ‘Namgis and Mamalilikala tribe, from the Kwakwala people of Alert Bay. She is a former President of the Native Sisterhood and was also a member of the Native Brotherhood. Today, Vera is a cultural teacher and storyteller, carrying on the storytelling tradition of her grandmother Axu Agnes Alfred. Vera’s passion is to ensure that the Kwakwala language does not disappear.

Karen Jeffrey comes from the Ganhada tribe, Tsimshian Nation, of the North Coast of British Columbia. Karen’s grandfather, George Jeffrey, was one of the original founding members of the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia, and Karen worked as a recruiter for the Native Brotherhood for many years during the 1970s. Today, she is an active community leader and activist.

Moira Movanna is a fourth-generation activist and the granddaughter of Maisie Hurley, who founded The Native Voice newspaper in 1946. She is currently editing the book With the Mystic Totem People, written by her great-grandmother Amy Campbell-Johnston, who along with her husband and Chief Weymannassac were responsible for the first documented Native land claims, as part of the McKenna-McBride Commission (1912). Moira currently lives in New Westminster, BC.

Doreen Manuel is the daughter of Grand Chief Dr. George Manuel and Marceline Manuel. She has received the Governor General of Canada Medal Award for academic excellence and the Women in Film & Television Leadership in Education Award. She has directed for television and worked as the Canadian Correspondent for The Native Heartbeat and NorthWest Indian News. Doreen owns Running Wolf Productions and is based in Vancouver, BC.

Vicki Lynne George developed and produced The Constitution Express: A Multimedia History (2005–2006), a joint project with UBC’s First Nations Studies program and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. Generational activism has deep roots for Vicki, the daughter of an Indigenous leader. Her father, Ron George, was a key participant in the Constitution Express, and Vicki’s multimedia project started an archive for this historical movement. She comes from the Wet’suwet’en Nation and is based in Vancouver, BC.

Dr. Lorna Williams, Ed.D., O.B.C., LL.B. (Hons), is Lil’watul from Mount Currie, BC. She retired from the University of Victoria where she was Associate Professor in Curriculum and Instruction and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Learning in the Faculty of Education and Department of Linguistics. She has held a number of senior positions, including Director of Aboriginal Education at the University of Victoria and Director of the Aboriginal Enhancements Branch in the British Columbia Ministry of Education.