Oral History Project

Victoria Anderson-Gardner is a queer Indigenous filmmaker and activist. She comes from the Ojibway lands of Eagle Lake First Nation but is based out of Toronto, Ontario. She currently is completing her thesis at Ryerson University for her BFA in Film Production with the School of Image Arts.  Recent projects she has worked on include

Michael Etherington has family roots and heritage from James Bay; he is a proud representative of the  Omushkego-Cree. Michael’s late great-aunt was the oldest residential school attendee in Canada at 111 years of age, attending St. Anne’s in Fort Albany, Ont.; in 2008 she was one of four invited attendees to hear Stephen Harper’s formal

Harvey Horlock is a veteran of the Canadian Forces from the postwar years.  He enlisted in the 1950s, with the memory of the sacrifice of his World War Two uncles fresh in his mind, and in that decade of service he helped in the clean-up after Hurricane Hazel, among other events.  He has been heavily

Waneek Horn-Miller, a Mohawk from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory near Montreal, was behind the lines during the Oka crisis, in 1990, when she was stabbed by a Canadian soldier’s bayonet. This near-death experience was a turning point for her. She went on to co-captain Canada’s Olympic women’s water polo team and currently she works to attract

Iskwé was born and raised in Winnipeg, and is currently living in Toronto after stints in Los Angeles and New York. Iskwé is an upcoming force in the music scene, who has been called “one to watch” by The Grid, and “one of the top 10 Canadian musicians you need to know” by CBC Music.  Her

Suzy is an Urban Indigenous woman of Abenaki and Montagnais-Naskape ancestry.  Suzy has worked with the Indigenous community in Simcoe County for 16 years, advocating for the rights of Indigenous children and youth to have the same education and employment opportunities as their non-Indigenous peers. She was the 2016 Recipient of the Ontario Minister for

Evelyn Korkmaz is a residential school survivor, a victim of the notorious St. Anne’s Residential School near Fort Albany, Ontario.  Evelyn’s early years did not give any indication of what she would later experience; she grew up among family and friends in her early years, but changing family circumstances led to her attending St. Anne’s,

Lindsay is the Current Executive Director of the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC). Her family comes from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She has worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 20 years, most recently as the Executive Director of the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy; she started her community service work as

Stacey LaForme is the newly elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation (MNCFN). Born and raised on MNCFN, Chief LaForme worked as an iron worker before being elected to council in 1999. Chief LaForme has participated in many committees and boards throughout his years in MNCFN politics. Notably, Chief LaForme was instrumental in raising

Laureen (Blu) Waters is a member of the Metis Nation of Ontario.  Her family is from Big River Saskatchewan, Star Blanket Reserve and Bra’dor Lake, Eskasoni First Nations, Cape Breton Nova Scotia. Blu grew up with her grandmother and learned about traditional medicines performing extractions, healing, and taking of care of the sick. At 10

Diem Marchand-Lafortune is a powerful Plains Cree Horizon-Dancer and Jewish Renaissance woman who describes herself as “Crewish”. Years of work on legal issues related to forced relinquishments of newborns and their disappearance into the system via an inhumane adoption industry came to fruition with the release of Senator Eggleton’s report: This Shame is Ours Canada. She

Mike Metatawabin was born and raised in the First Nation community of Fort Albany located in northern Ontario along the shores of western James Bay.  Mike is a survivor of the St. Anne’s residential school which was located right in his community.  Like so many indigenous children he endured those abuses, while other Canadians remained

Maria Montejo is a member of the Mam Jakaltec community of Indigenous people who reside in the Xajla territory of Guatemala. Twenty-five years ago, Maria and her family came to Canada as refugees and settled in Toronto. Maria works to introduce Canadians to the basic knowledge of the worldview of Indigenous Peoples, as well as their spiritual

Thomas Norton is a photographer, film maker and singer/songwriter, and also makes jewelry.  Born in Southampton, Ontario, Thomas is a member of the Saugeen First Nation who currently resides in Toronto.  He was a participant in Crestwood’s “Towards Reconciliation” Symposium, held on November 10, 2016, where he spoke about his experiences as a survivor of the

Shawnee Lynn Talbot uses her songs to advocate for queer, Indigenous, youth, and mental health issues.  She is an Indigenous Canadian singer who identifies as Two Spirit, meaning that she is fluid with her gender and sexuality.  Two Spirit people were once celebrated in Indigenous communities before European settlers colonized North America. Since the Indigenous

Jocelyne – or Jessie – Sutherland is a member of the Fort Albany First Nation and a survivor of the 60s Scoop and St. Anne’s Residential School.  Like so many indigenous children of her generation, her life was disrupted, along with her sense of family.  Jessie shared with the students the history and culture of

Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux is the first Indigenous Chair for Truth and Reconciliation on behalf of Lakehead University, Thunder Bay and Orillia.  Her research and academic writing is directed towards understanding the continuing transmission of unresolved intergenerational trauma and grief, primarily within the Indigenous community of Canada.  We were honoured to have her as our keynote

Kim Wheatley is an Ojibwe Anishinaabe Grandmother from Shawanaga First Nation Reserve who carries the spirit name Head or Leader of the Fireflower and who is Turtle Clan. She has appeared on TV, radio and in many news articles connected to her passion for Indigenous Knowledge sharing. Kim has worked with over 34 First Nation

Chris White, along with Canadian Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke and Shelley Hamilton, is delving into his Black, Native and Nova Scotian roots to create songs and poems that address and celebrate this largely unacknowledged aspect of Canadian history and culture. Together, they have performed and recorded this material in Halifax and Toronto, and have

Evelyn Wolfe is a survivor of Canada’s infamous residential school system.  She visited Crestwood in December 2019, speaking to Grade 8 and 10 students about her experiences and her own path to reconciliation.  Evelyn was born in northern Ontario, growing up in a traditional lifestyle in a family that hunted and trapped.  When she was