Sunday, November 30, 2025
11:30-12:30 PM | Minogitoon Workspace (Studio 1 - Giizis Studio)
Panel: Voices of Aki
Moderated by Joelle Peters
Panelists: Kole Durnford, Ange Loft, and Cas Ward
This EVENT has unfortunately been CANCELLED.
2:00 PM | Aki Studio
The Curse of Stolen Seeds by Jillian Morris
Conditions to Strike by Montana Summers
ʔa·kinq̓uku by Samantha Sutherland
All the presentations for Sun, Nov 30 will be ASL interpreted.
Presentation
The Curse of Stolen Seeds
by Jillian Morris
The Curse of Stolen Seeds is a dramatic theatre short set in 2004, inspired by the report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights - The Scars that We Carry: Forced and Coerced Sterilization of Persons in Canada - Part II, July 2022. It explores the complexity of the mother, adult daughter relationship. It is about deep wounds and shallow understandings, resented estrangement and unexpected returns. It is about forgiveness and peace seeking after the emergence from dark places brought about by colonization.
Creator: Jillian Morris (Kanien’kehaka and a band member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory)
Mentor: Ange Loft
Performers: Celeste Sansregret, Richard Comeau, PJ Prudat
Run Time: 30 minutes
Content Warning: Sterilization, state violence
Other Showing: November 27
Jillian Morris, Creator
Jillian Morris is Kanien’kehaka and a band member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, currently residing in Collingwood. She has a BA in Public Administration and Indigenous Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University. She spent 13 years as a federal public servant before moving into freelance & volunteer work related to the arts and storytelling.
Jillian recently wrapped up her term as Poet Laureate of the town of Collingwood. She has also established her presence in the community as a columnist, having published articles with Collingwood Today and other local publications. She writes works that contribute to fostering healthier relations among people and the natural world. She believes that art is an impactful medium to build bridges between cultures and worldviews.
Ange Loft, Mentor
ANGE LOFT (Kanien’kehá:ka, from Kahnawà:ke; lives in Toronto, ON, Canada) is an interdisciplinary performing artist, who works blend arts based research, voice, wearable sculpture, and Haudenosaunee history, guided by her background in community theatre, community art and Indigenous theatrical creation methodologies. In recognition of her craft, Ange received the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Indigenous Artist Award in 2023.
With Native Earth, her dramaturgy work at Weesageechak includes: As the Ice Floats By with Montana Adams and Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way by Vancouver Moving Theatre with Renae Morriseau. Ange’s recent roles include: Artistic Lead in the Co-creation of Stone and Bone Spectacular, as Indigenous Artist in Residence at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre (2022-24). Multi-disciplinary installation Visibly Iroquoian and Carrying our Bones, as the inaugural Indigenous Research Fellow at the Centre for Canadian Architecture (2023). Instructor in Story Creation with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (2021-23). Artistic Lead of the Talking Treaties initiative with Jumblies Theatre + Arts (2017-24). Artist in Residence, University of Toronto OISEE and Jackman Humanities Institute (2021-22) and the Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitor at the University of Toronto’s University College (2023/24).
Celeste Sansregret, Performer
Descended from a Metis/Ukrainian settler family, Sansregret is a citizen of the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF), although she has resided for a long time as a happy guest on Treaty 13 in T’karonto.
A writer, actor, producer and senior arts administrator working in theatre, television and film, she made her first stage appearance at age 3, and has appeared on stages across Canada, as well as in film and television. She toured the country on the national Fringe circuit with two solo shows she starred in and created: WONDERBAR and IN A MAGIC KINGDOM.
A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre (Prime Time Television) and the University of Winnipeg (Theatre) her writing for stage and screen has won multiple awards.She retired from the role of Managing Director of The Centre for Indigenous Theatre in 2020.
Marsi to Mike Lummis, Ritter Talent and to Native Earth for inviting me to be part of this magical festival.
Richard Comeau, Performer
Richard is an actor, fight director and a Certified Fight Instructor with Fight Directors Canada. His work spans across this country. Recent theatre credits include Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion, Quiet in the Land, Powers and Gloria (Blyth Festival); Women of the Fur Trade, Liars at a Funeral (Magnus); 1939 (Canadian Stage); King Lear, Much Ado, 1939 (Stratford); Crazy Dave Goes to Town (CIT); 1939 (YES! Theatre). Fight direction credits include Magnus Theatre; Belfry Theatre; Canadian Stage; Soulpepper; Shaw Festival; Native Earth; YES! Theatre, to name a few. Richard has also performed on set with Disney/Lucas Films, Discovery Channel, and CBC. He also teaches Stage Combat at Rapier Wit and Centre for Indigenous Theatre. Richard is thrilled to return to Weesageechak as it's one of his favourite things in the year. Miigwetch
PJ Prudat, Performer
PJ is a storyteller and theatre maker with artist residencies at Nightswimming and the Theatre Centre. She was Playwright in ‘Rez at NEPA in 2013/14.
PJ is among the first ever Indigenous kwe to hold space as a Company Actor at both the National Arts Centre (English and Indigenous Theatres): the Unnatural and Accidental Women, Angelique, Moonlodge, Twelfth Night, Anne and Gilbert, Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, a Soldier’s Tale, Copper Thunderbird
Shaw Festival: Saint Joan (Joan understudy), Wilde Tales, a Christmas Carol X3).
Elsewhere: Bentboy, the Blue Planet (Young People’s Theatre), Iphigenia and the Furies (Saga Collectif/Architect/TPM), Café Daughter (Blyth, & Native Earth/ National & Yukon tours), Ministry of Grace (Belfry), Honour Beat (Theatre Calgary), Everything I Couldn’t Tell You (SpiderBones/ Riser Festival) Moonlodge (Urban Ink/ a Jesse Richardson nominee), Cleo in Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare in the Ruins).
Et Cetera: PJ is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at UBC. Her first book as a children's literary author, My Buffalo Dream will be available in 2027 with Roaring Brook Press.
Presentation
Conditions to Strike
by Montana Summers
Conditions to Strike is a rendition of the Thunder Boy character from Onkwehón:we storytelling. Pulling from this character’s theme of being half human and half Thunder Being, Montana attempts to correlate the struggle of being caught in between the worlds of sky and earth to the struggle of modern queer identities being caught between masculine and feminine. He reinterprets the story by layering these two narratives of spiritual and queer identities together to tell an important lesson in multi-generational connections of love, protection, sacrifice and bringing needed balance to these dualities.
Concept Designer, Writer, and Choreographer: Montana Summers
Performers : Montana Summers, Katie Couchie, Kali Bomberry
Dance Mentor: Santee Smith
Script Mentor: Monique Mojica
Costume Designer: Tyler Moody
Projection Designer: Brendan Briceland
Composers: Mas Aya (Brandon Valdivia) Wormwood (Andrew Wenaus/Christina Marie Willatt)
Vocals: Benay Elijah
Run Time: 60 minutes
Content Warning: Self harm, violence, airborne particulate matter (flour is thrown in the air during the performance), gluten
Other Showing: November 28
Montana Summers, Creator
Montana Summers, from the Oneida Nation of the Thames, is a dance artist and emerging choreographer. In 2022, Summers started developments on his first performance project, “Conditions to Strike,” and showcased developments at The Banff Centre, Royal Botanical Gardens, and Native Earth Performing Arts. Since 2015, Montana has worked professionally in theatre, performing choreography by Santee Smith, the artistic director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. Notable performances include “The Honouring” (2015-2017), “The Mush Hole” (2016-2025), and “Sken:nen” (2021-2024). He has collaborated with performance collectives such as Dusk Dances (“Kan^stote” – 2021), Nicole Beutler Projects (“Room In Our House” – 2025) and Sweet Labour Art Collective (“Compost-Recomposing Relations”– 2022, “Dancing with Billy” – 2023, and “Wakh^tahslu:nihe: — Dressing Up the Garden”– 2024). Stage credits include Backyard Theatre's “The Other Side of the River” (2019) and The Grand Theatre's “Love Song for the Thunderbirds” (2021). Summers was credited as choreographer for “The Secret to Good Tea” – 2024 (NAC/The Grand Thatre) and “Canoe” – 2023 (Unsettled Score).
Santee Smith, Mentor (Dance)
Santee Smith, Tekaronhiáhkhwa, is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Ohswé:ken (Six Nations of the Grand River). A visionary in Indigenous performance, her transformative work masterfully bridges movement, storytelling, and design, forging deep mind-heart connections. Trained at Canada’s National Ballet School, with degrees in Physical Education, Psychology, and a master’s degree in dance, Santee blends ancient knowledge with new media to create impactful and immersive performances. As founder of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, she has created and produced 16 full-scale productions, numerous short works, and film/TV projects. Santee’s work explores themes of identity, humanity, and humanity’s responsibility to the natural world. Through her “Inviting the Land to Shape Us Series”, she advances land-based Indigenous performance research and fosters international collaborations and developing Indigenous dance artists. A Member of the Order of Canada and the 19th Chancellor of McMaster University, Santee continues to inspire as an artist and cultural leader.
Kali Kennedy, Performer
Kali Kennedy is a Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk Nation) contemporary dancer, actor and performance artist of the Six Nations of the Grand River territory. Growing up on the stage, she has been able to transfer her talents on screen. Notably, Kali Kennedy has performed as young Rita Joe in I Lost My Talk choreographed by Santee Smith, starred in Drive the Common Man’s Annie presented by Imaginative, and touring with Kaha:wi Dance Theatre in The Mush Hole. Most recently she starred in the short film Niimi, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Katie Couchie (Waabanookwe), Performer
Waabanookwe/Katie Couchie is an Anishinaabe artist from Nbisiing (Nipissing First Nation), waabezeshii ndodem. Katie has worked with companies & choreographers including Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, A’nó:wara Dance Theatre, Human Body Expressions, Alejandro Ronceria, Christine Friday, Simik Komaksiutiksak, Peggy Baker, & Cameron Fraser-Monroe.
Katie is a Dora nominated artist for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in the productions of Homelands and SKéN:NEN by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. She has also been in productions such as The Mush Hole and Oron’ónhta - Beings of Light over the past three years with the company. Katie is also a proud cast member of A’nó:wara Dance Theatre’s, Sky Dancers.
Outside of her dance practice, Katie is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies at Nipissing University and is busy sewing & beading.
Presentation
ʔa·kinq̓uku
by Samantha Sutherland
Fire ignites, grows, burns, and devours. Once it decays, what destruction does it leave behind? How does the earth regrow out of the ashes?
ʔa·kinq̓uku, the word for fire in the Ktunaxa Language, is a solo that follows the life cycle of a wildfire, and the regrowth that occurs after. This piece was created in reaction to the wildfire that burned through the Samantha’s home community of ʔaq̓am in the summer of 2023.
Creator: Samantha Sutherland (Ktunaxa)
Mentor: Christine Friday
Sound Composition: Edgardo Moreno
Costume: Cindy Sutherland
Videography: Jude Pierre
Original lighting design by Jonathan Kim, remounted by Aidan Jackson
Created in the Pakitinam Choreographers Circle with Raven Spirit Dance
Run Time: 20 minutes
Content Warning: Loud rumbling sounds, haze, flickering lights
Other Showing: November 28
Samantha Sutherland, Creator
Samantha Sutherland is a contemporary dance artist, choreographer, and teacher based in Tkaronto. Her ancestry is Ktunaxa and Scottish. She grew up on Coast Salish territory and graduated from the Arts Umbrella Dance Diploma Program in 2018.
Samantha began choreographing dance solo works in 2021 and has presented in festivals across Turtle Island. Some include the Matriarchs Uprising Festival, Sharing the Stage with The National Ballet of Canada, Dance Made in Canada, SummerWorks, and Weesageechak Begins to Dance. Samantha premiered her first ensemble dance work naⱡa at Citadel Spring Mix in Toronto, and later presented the work in Vancouver at the Matriarchs Uprising Festival.
She has performed in dance works by Santee Smith, Alejandro Ronceria, Jera Wolfe, and Raven Spirit Dance. She is currently on faculty at The Centre for Indigenous Theatre, and an Artistic Associate with O.Dela Arts.
Christine Friday, Mentor
Christine Friday is a proficient resilient Indigenous storyteller. She began her career with In the Land of Spirits in 1992 and has maintained a professional dance career for over 30 years, choreographing, solo work, commissioned work, films, youth creations and full-scale productions. She is deeply connected to the cultural wellness of her people and works hard to maintain cultural traditions and gifts of her Anishinaabek community. Her company, Friday Creeations based on Bear Island Lake Temagami is a First Nations professional arts and community platform that encourages creative entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency that connects to land, power and truth. She is in the process of launching her dream of a dance studio lodge with an outfitters company, inspiring and activating land based with professional performance and traditional art practices to awaken storytelling rooted in land and individual creativity, connection and healing.