Celebrating our Indigenous Prosperity and Resiliency

Amazing opening drum song by Steve Teekens, the executive director at Native Men’s Residence, an organization that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and deeply affordable rentals to a clientele of mostly Indigenous men in Toronto.

Traditional Opening by Larry Frost, a long-time Indigenous leader in Toronto, he has been actively engaged in previous terms of the Aboriginal Affairs Committee. He was the Executive Director of The Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, a membership-based, charitable organization whose mission is to empower the Indigenous community in Toronto by providing programs that support their spiritual, emotional, physical and mental well-being.

Raised in East York, currently residing in Scarborough. Francis Sanderson is the Executive Director, Nishnawbe Homes Inc. She is the previous Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Affairs Committee. Other responsibilities include: Chair, Aboriginal Education Council, George Brown College; Member, Toronto Aboriginal Support Service Council (TASSC); President, Indigenous Housing and Homelessness Community Advisory Board (CAB); Chair, Aboriginal Consultative Committee, Toronto Police Service. Nishnawbe Homes provides affordable and safe housing to Indigenous people in Toronto.

Kelly Hashemi is an Indigenous woman and was born and raised in Manitoba. A mother of two and proud grandmother of Mars and Evren, Kelly now lives in Toronto. She has many years of experience in the Arts Community and supports the arts in many ways. Kelly has worked for Red Roots Theater, Idea Productions and has worked on, and produced, documentaries on Aboriginal Issues including Residential Schools. She had been the Agency Events Coordinator at Native Child and Family Services of Toronto for over 5 years and enjoyed her position with fervor and enthusiasm. She is now committed full time to Sweetpea Event Services. Her love of community also keeps her busy with volunteering and encouraging others to give of their time and talents. When she is not working or planning an amazing event, you can find Kelly in a kitchen somewhere cooking, laughing and loving life!

Various community members video submissions.

Nicole McCormick - City News. Nicole McCormick is a proud Kanyen’kehá:ka [Mohawk) woman, whose family is from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She currently lives in Hamilton. Ontario. Nicole is the Senior Manager of News Gathering at CityNews Toronto and Breakfast Television, part of Rogers Sports & Media. Nicole is an award-winning journalist, who has worked behind the camera, for over 20 years.

Valerie Kerr was born In Winnipeg and has been living in Tkoronto for over 20 years. Valerier has family roots in Norway House Cree Nation. She has many years of personal and professional experience working and supporting our early years community. As a mother of 5 and grandmother of 2, she knows the challenges and joys of sharing our traditional teachings with little ones.
She is a creative and strong leader that excels at early years engagement and programming. When Val is not working hard at NCFST Scarborough Child and Family Life Centre, you can find her playing and training her new puppy and making heart healthy dishes for her family.

Darin Wybenga is a member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation where he works as the community’s Traditional Knowledge and Land Use Coordinator. One of the favorite aspects of his job is educating people about the history of his First Nation and its resilient people. Prior to working for the First Nation, he was an educator in independent grade schools in Southern Ontario.

Michael Lawrenchuk is a Cree from the Fox Lake First Nation. He has worked in theatre, film and television across Canada as a producer, writer, actor and director. He trained at the London Theatre School`s Post Graduate Acting Program and holds a BA (Honours) in Acting/Theatre from the University of Winnipeg. Michael has been the Artistic Director of Red Roots Theatre since the summer of 2000.

Vicky auf der Mauer is a proud Inuk woman, raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Her greatest passion is encouraging indigenous people, mainly women to pursue their calling in being a self-employed entrepreneur based on ones passions. Her experience comes in co-founding a successful small restaurant brand and now a self employed entrepreneurial trainer, coach, workshop facilitator, and speaker. The focus of her work is creating a meaningful life, embodying our personal empowerment, and building a self-sustaining business based on our creativity. She is now an Urban Inuk living in downtown Toronto with her 11 year old Jack Russell Chiuhuahua, Lola.

Jon Davey is the National Director of Aboriginal Financial Services at the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank). He works with Indigenous communities and corporations to find banking solutions and wealth management options to help Nations achieve their respective visions for future generations.
Before joining Scotiabank Jon practiced law for over ten years as Crown Counsel in the Aboriginal Law Division of the Department of Justice Canada (DOJ) and served as the Special Advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Aboriginal Affairs within the DOJ.

Antonella, who goes by Toni, has been a Child & Youth Practitioner for 17 years. She graduated with her C.Y.W 3-year diploma in 2004 from Centennial College. She then went on to work in the educational system with youth on the autism spectrum for almost 2 years then moved on to working with youth 15 and young adults who were dealing with trauma, addictions, criminal justice system, intergenerational trauma, housing, academic and career pathway planning.

Keith McCrady is an Ojibway and Cree from the Bear Clan who has worked with Indigenous families for over twenty years. Born in Thunder Bay and raised traditionally by both parents in Blinjitwaabik Zaaging Aaishinaabek (formerly Rocky Bay First Nation), Keith says that becoming a role model in his community was an important part of his journey.

Deanne Hupfield is Anishnawbe from Temagami First Nation, Ontario, Canada. A descendant of Indian Residential School survivors, Deanne has dedicated her life to learning and preserving her culture. She learned to dance from a small age and has spent her life passing on related teachings to her community. She has taught dance for the past 15 years, including weekend classes at The Native Canadian Center of Toronto, and currently teaches virtual regalia making courses as owner of www.deannehupfield.com. As an educator she actively teaches the history of Canadian policy that affects Indigenous people. Deanne was Ironwoman, Wiki Pow Wow 2015.

John Hupfield Waaseyaabin is Anishinaabe from Wasauksing First Nation, Ontario, Canada. He is a Phd Candidate in Education at York University, living and working in Toronto where he is a recognized dancer and active community member. He attended powwows his entire life but only started grass dancing in his mid-20s. He is a regular invited and head dancer at many First Nations' and community powwows throughout Ontario. His dancing can be seen in the music video for Indian City, 2016, by A Tribe Called Red, The One Who Keeps on Giving, 2017, double channel video by Maria Hupfield and Miigis, 2018, a production fusing contemporary Indigenous dance with athleticism by Red Sky Performance, Toronto.
Celebrating our Indigenous Prosperity and Resiliency

At first, Randall Arsenault may seem an unusual guy to be pegged for the title of a famous social media influencer. Having spent close to two decades as a police officer, Arsenault sees his social media outreach as a way to engage with the community and humanize the badge. “How I am online is exactly how I am as a person. If I don’t educate, I at least hope to entertain,” says Arsenault, who is famous for the way he spreads information about preventing crime. Arsenault’s work on addressing bullying in schools, homelessness and mental health are also important assets that he brings to his role as an OHRC Commissioner.

Jamie Whitecrow is a Toronto- based writer, producer, multi – media artist and aspiring filmmaker. Most recently working as a Project Coordinator with the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (The Centre for Aboriginal Media) which ran digitally from October 20-25th 2020, Jamie shared more about her influences and approach to film and what she’s been working on during the pandemic.