Arts and Literature



My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.


~Louis Riel, July 4, 1885


In 1996 I formally started my career as a "Professional Performing Artist" as an Arts faculty/Guest Artist with the Banff Centre; although I have been presenting, performing and speaking since the 70's. It took the longest time to accept the call of "performing artist". When invited to speak, dance or share a story, I welcomed the occasion, mostly because at those times, I receive the greatest moments of delight and joy. Sometimes I would want to look around and make sure, "was that me that just said that", or "danced like that!" Sometimes we do what we do, because it's all that we know, truth is, it is what we are gifted with and take for granted. I have shared as a dancer, choreographer, presenter, storyteller, writer, but most of all, to share and celebrate the spirit of our people. Many years later, I don't hesitate in my introduction as a "performing artist".
Megwetch to all those who were trailbreakers.


Dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body.
~ Martha Graham, New York Times



After many years of sharing dance stories, I decided to document those stories. These days, I write for several newspapers, as a guest writer; such as Anishinabek News, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, Native Voices (Rapid City S.D.USA) and Windspeaker, to name a few.

Currently, I am researching and drafting several books.

  • The first is The Promise to the Nokomis, a story based on a personal experience that happened in Whitefish Bay, Lake of the Woods region of Northern Ontario almost twenty years ago. It is about the official transfer of the Jingle Dress dance to other tribal nations beyond the Anishinaabe people. In 2004 I directed and choreographed THE PROMISE as a theatre dance piece, produced by Debajehmujig Theatre (www.debaj.ca).It is almost an hour long dance piece that included contemporary movement to compliment the Women's pow-wow dances'. During the gestation period of this story, it was first published-Untitled. The Gatherings Anthology, Volume 13. Reconciliation, Elders as Knowledge Keepers. Fall 2002 Theytus Books, Penticton B.C.

  • The next book I am working with is the Blackfoot Prairie Chicken dance with Treffrey Deerfoot, Siksika Nation. It is a story I earned the rights to tell from the Blackfoot Confederacy. In part, I heard the Prairie Chicken stories many years ago, from the legendary late Alex Scalplock and the songs from the late Daniel Weasel Moccasin and Charles Bullshield; while I lived in Blackfoot territory, Southern Alberta. Also, an invitation was extended to the late Alex's son, as well as Marvin Calfrobe and Treffrey Deerfoot (Yellow Old Women) and his son to share the dance, story and rites to the Prairie Chicken Dance at the 2003 Wikwemikong Cultural Festival. During this time, the factual significance of the dance, its origins, spiritual importance and the earning of the rites to practice and/or tell the story were shared by these Prairie Chicken dance knowledge keepers.

  • Finally, my other story is The Sandbox story. When I first decided to write for Newspapers, since at the time, I wouldn't consider myself a journalist per se, I am a story teller. I was asked by the editor "what do you write about"? I could not think of a word or one sentence and so I spieled a somewhat autobiographical metaphorical tale about a little girl who choose to play in a solemn sandbox with all her relatives, thinking it was the best place for her. Regardless of the trauma, turmoil and dysfunctional "play" within the sandbox-it was her community. She survived it all, don't we all. The significant change to occur was her choice to thrive and not just survive. What happened next is they published that story and I share that story with my grandchildren. Now I am in the planning stages of going to print with The Sandbox story.


Prior, to the above stories, part of what led me to this place as a writer is an enlightening period of my professional career when I became adjunct faculty at the International School of Writing, the En'owkwin Centre, Pentiction B.C in 2002. I taught Creative Writing, as well team-taught with Jeannette Armstrong, a true indigenous scholarly experience.

Thank you Jeannette.



Over the years, I have work shopped, created and choreographed dance pieces and enjoy my time in the dance studio. Some of my students and fellow choreographers have been Penny Couchie, Sandra Laronde, George Leach and Santee Smith, most of who are contemporary artists. The blending and balance between the two artistic genres of Traditional and Contemporary expression has been a rewarding experience. A recent dance highlight was performing with Buffy Ste. Marie at the 2008 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in Toronto.





Please keep posted on book launch dates and I welcome invitations to share in dance experiences.

Karen